Current forms of commendations in Vietnam

What is commendation?

Pursuant to the provisions of the Law on Emulation and Commendation 2022, commendation means the recognition, praise, honor, and encouragement with physical benefits for individuals, collectives, and households with achievements in Fatherland Construction and Defense. commendation principles include:

- Accuracy, publicity, transparency, equality, and timeliness;

- Assurance of uniformity between forms and subjects of commendation and meritorious services and achievements;

- One commendation form may be awarded many times to one subject; prohibition against provision of multiple awards or other forms of commendation to one achievement; provision of commendation to the corresponding achievement;

- Focus on the provision of commendations to individuals, collectives, and households that directly work, produce, and conduct business; individuals and collectives that work in borders, seas, islands, and regions with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions.

Current forms of commendations in Vietnam (Internet image) 

Commendation types in Vietnam

Commendation types regulated in Article 8 of the Law on Emulation and Commendation 2022 including:

- Commendations for meritorious services are for individuals or collectives that regularly achieve excellent achievements in Fatherland Construction and Defense.

- Irregular commendations are timely commendations for individuals, collectives, or households that irregularly achieve excellent achievements. 

- Emulation movement commendations are for individuals, collectives, or households that have excellent achievements in emulation movements launched and directed by competent authorities within a specific time or thematic emulations for political tasks of the CPV or the State.

- Contribution process commendations are for individuals who have long-term participation in revolutionary periods or Fatherland Construction and Defense, hold the leading or managerial positions in state agencies, public service providers, political organizations, socio-political organizations, social-political-vocational organizations, social organizations, or socio-vocational organizations with tasks assigned by the CPV or State, conduct meritorious services, or contribute achievements to the revolutionary cause of the CPV and the nation.

- Seniority-based commendations are for individuals of the People’s Army and the People’s Public Security who have achievements and working histories in the people’s armed forces.

- Diplomatic commendations are for Vietnamese individuals or collectives residing abroad; foreign individuals or collectives that contribute achievements to the Fatherland Construction and Defense of Vietnam.

Forms of commendations in Vietnam

Pursuant to Article 9 of the Law on Emulation and Commendation 2022, forms of commendations include:

- Order.

- Medal.

- Honorary title of the state.

- “Giải thưởng Hồ Chí Minh” (Ho Chi Minh Prize), “Giải thưởng Nhà nước” (State Prize).

- Commemorative medal.

- Diploma of Merit.

- Certificate of Merit.

Commendation items in Vietnam

Pursuant to Article 12 of the Law on Emulation and Commendation 2022, commendation items are special products protected by the State to be gifted to collectives, households, gifted or posthumously gifted to organizations when competent authorities issue commendation decisions, including orders, medals, and badges of titles of “Anh hùng Lực lượng vũ trang nhân dân” (Hero of People's Armed Forces), “Anh hùng Lao động” (Labor Hero), “Bà mẹ Việt Nam anh hùng” (Vietnamese Heroic Mother), “Chiến sĩ thi đua toàn quốc” (National Emulation Fighter); commemorative medals; diplomas, flags, or certificates of commendations of emulation titles and commendation forms.

The Government of Vietnam shall elaborate on the form, color, number of stars, and number of stripes for each type and grade of orders, medals, and badges of titles of “Hero of People’s Armed Forces”, “Labor Hero”, “Vietnamese Heroic Mother”, and “National Emulation Fighter”; materials, and frame sizes of types of orders, medals, diplomas, flags, and certificates of emulation titles and commendation forms; procedures for the issuance, exchange, and re-issuance of commendation items.

Mai Thanh Loi

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