Organizational structure of the Vietnam Mekong River Commission

Organizational structure of the Vietnam Mekong River Commission (Internet image) 

1. Organizational structure of the Vietnam Mekong River Commission

- Chairman: Deputy Prime Minister.

- Permanent Vice Chairman and Member of the Council of the International Mekong River Commission of Vietnam: Minister of Natural Resources and Environment.

- Vice Presidents: Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Planning and Investment, Agriculture, and Rural Development.

- Members:

+ Vice Chairman of the Government Office;

+ Deputy Ministers of: Natural Resources and Environment, Industry and Trade, Construction, Transport, Science and Technology, Information and Communication, Culture, Sports, and Tourism, National Defense, and Public Security;

+ Chief of Office of the Vietnam Mekong River Commission and Member of the Joint Committee of the International Mekong River Commission of Vietnam;

+ Director of the Department of Water Resources Management;

+ General Director of Vietnam Environment Administration;

+ General Director of the General Department of Water Resources;

+ General Director of the General Department of Natural Disaster Prevention and Control;

+ Leading representatives of the People's Committees of the provinces/cities in the Mekong river basin and the Sesan-Srepok river basin include: An Giang, Bac Lieu, Ben Tre, Ca Mau, Can Tho, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Dong Thap, Gia Lai, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, Kon Tum, Lam Dong, Long An, Soc Trang, Tien Giang, Tra Vinh, and Vinh Long.

- Leaders of the Electricity of Vietnam and a number of organizations exploiting and using water, discharging wastewater into water sources on a large scale, or having a great impact on the water source of the river basin; scientists; and relevant socio-political organizations are invited to participate in meetings of the Committee and Sub-Committees when necessary.

- Sub-Committees: The Vietnam Mekong River Commission has a sub-committee on the Mekong River Basin and a sub-committee on the Sesan-Srepok River Basin.

(Article 3 of Decision 619/QD-TTg in 2020)

2. Duties and powers of the Vietnam Mekong River Commission

(1) Studying and proposing to the Prime Minister directions and solutions to solve important, interdisciplinary, and transnational issues in the Mekong River Basin, including the Mekong River Basin and the Sesan - Srepok Rivers of Vietnam:

- Operational strategy of the Vietnam Mekong River Commission; draft decisions and directives of the Prime Minister directing cooperation activities, programs, schemes, and projects on sustainable development, use, management, and protection of water resources and related resources in the basin;

- Propose to develop, amend, and supplement legal documents, mechanisms, and policies (including international and regional legal frameworks) on sustainable development, use, management, and protection of water resources and the environment in the basin;

- Propose solutions to ensure the effective implementation of strategies and planning (regional and national) on water resources and related fields in the basin;

- Proposing solutions to settle disputes and problems between ministries, branches, and localities and between Vietnam and other countries in the Mekong River Basin in sustainable development, use, management, and protection of water and related resources in the basin;

- Propose solutions to respond to unusual developments and potential impacts on Vietnam due to upstream development activities and climate change on the basis of monitoring and research in the basin;

- Recommendations on Mekong cooperation based on the results of participating in the meetings of the MRC.

(2) Assisting the Prime Minister in directing, regulating, and coordinating among ministries, branches, localities, international, regional, and domestic organizations and partners and relevant individuals in monitoring, inspecting, and supervising the implementation of inter-sectoral activities in the Mekong River Basin, including the following in Vietnam's Mekong River Basin and Sesan - Srepok River:

- Implement the implementation of programs, schemes, and projects according to the competence to give written opinions as prescribed in Clause 1, Article 2 of this Decision;

- Operate large-scale water-use and regulation works, including hydropower projects on the Mekong mainstream;

- Regulate and distribute water sources in case of drought, water shortage, saltwater intrusion, or flood; maintain minimum flow;

- Monitor, respond to, and overcome harms and incidents of water pollution caused by activities of exploiting, using, and discharging waste into water sources; assess the water source's ability to receive wastewater;

- Projects on reinforcement and improvement of riverbeds and banks; exploiting other minerals in rivers, streams, and reservoirs; construction of water works and other projects and works within the water source protection corridor in river basins;

- Renovat and restoring water sources, conserving ecosystems, improving water quality, wetland areas, etc.

- Provide information on water resource developments, activities of using, protecting, and sustainably developing water resources, and related resources for domestic and foreign news agencies and the press;

- Protect, restore, and promote cultural heritage values related to water resources, such as tourism, physical training, sports, entertainment, etc.

(3) Helping the Prime Minister urge ministries, branches, localities, and relevant organizations and individuals to:

- Implement the Agreement on Cooperation for Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin and related regulations and procedures;

- Implement master plans on water resources in inter-provincial river basins; environmental and specialized planning with exploitation and use of water resources in the Cuu Long and Sesan-Srepok river basins;

- Implement approved programs, schemes, and projects in the Mekong and Sesan-Srepok river basins.

(4) Coordinating with relevant ministries, branches, and People's Committees of provinces and cities to submit to the Prime Minister programs, schemes, projects, and activities on sustainable development, use, management, and protection of water and related resources in the Mekong River Basin, including the Mekong River Basin and the Sesan-Sre Pok River.

(5) Having written opinions, before submitting them to competent state agencies as prescribed by law, on water resource master plans up to the provincial and city levels; specialized planning of ministries and branches that exploit and use water resources (irrigation, hydropower, water supply, inland waterway transport, fisheries, etc.) on the Cuu Long and Sesan-Srepok river basins.

(6) Having written opinions, before submitting them to competent state agencies as prescribed by law, for programs, schemes, and projects related to the exploitation, use, management, and protection of water and related resources in the Mekong River Basin, including the Mekong River Basin and the Sesan-Sre Pok River.

(7) Acting as a focal point for cooperation with countries in the Mekong basin, NGOs, and international organizations to concretize and organize the implementation of the Agreement on Sustainable Development Cooperation in the Mekong River Basin.

(8) Organizing scientific and technological research and proposing solutions to minimize the impact of the socio-economic development activities of upstream countries on the territories of Vietnam in the Mekong Basin. In the context of climate change, the impacts of Vietnam's socio-economic development activities in the Mekong River basin have transboundary impacts.

(9) Monitoring and supervision of water resource developments and activities of using, protecting, and sustainably developing water resources and related resources in the Mekong River Basin in order to ensure fair and reasonable use of Mekong water resources and protect Vietnam's interests through master planning, cooperation projects, and scientific and technological research for the Mekong basin, especially projects on the mainstream.

(10) Developing a database on water and related resources in the Mekong River Basin, including the Mekong and Sesan-Srepok river basins, serving the direction, coordination, and supervision of the Committee.

(11) Organizing propaganda on sustainable development, effective use, management, and protection of water and related resources in the Mekong River Basin.

(12) Mobilizing domestic and international resources to support the implementation of tasks on water resources and environmental protection in the Mekong River Basin and Sesan-Sre Pok River.

(13) Performing other duties and powers assigned by the Prime Minister.

(Article 2 of Decision 619/QD-TTg in 2020)

>> CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE IN VIETNAMESE