THE GOVERNMENT THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM

Independence - Freedom - Happiness

No. 72/2015/ND-CP Hanoi, September 7, 2015

DECREE
On management of external information activities
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Pursuant to the 2013 Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;
Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the
Government;
Pursuant to the June 18, 2009 Law on Overseas Representative Missions of
the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;
At the proposal of the Minister of Information and Communications,
The Government promulgates the Decree on management of external
information activities.
Chapter I
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Article 1. Scope of regulation
This Decree prescribes the management of external information activities;
and responsibilities of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-
attached agencies and People’s Committees of provinces and centrally run cities
(below referred to as provincial-level People’s Committees) for the management
and implementation of external information activities.
Article 2. Subjects of application
This Decree applies to ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-
attached agencies, provincial-level People’s Committees; and agencies and
organizations engaged in external information activities.
Article 3. Principles of external information activities
1. To conform with guidelines of the Party, laws of the State, and treaties to
which the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a contracting party; to conform with
laws and customs and practices of host countries.
2. Not to affect national security, social order and safety, prestige, image,
foreign relations and international cooperation of Vietnam; to protect state
secrets.
3. Not to incite the people to act against the State of the Socialist Republic
of Vietnam or undermine the national unity bloc; not to provoke violence,
propagandize wars of aggression and sow hatred among ethnicities and peoples
of countries.

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 4. To ensure information be accurate, timely and conformable with external
information orientations set by the Party and the State in each period and
approved external information programs and plans; not to make untruthful,
distortional and slanderous news in order to offend the honor of organizations
and honor and dignity of citizens.
Article 4. State management of external information
1. The Government shall perform the uniform state management of external
information activities.
a/ The Ministry of Information and Communications shall assume the
prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies, provincial-
level People’s Committees and related agencies in, performing the state
management of external information;
b/ The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall assume the prime responsibility
for, and coordinate with ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-
attached agencies and provincial-level People’s Committees in, carrying out
external information activities overseas;
c/ Other ministries and sectors shall manage and carry out external
information activities within the scope and fields under their state management
as assigned;
d/ Provincial-level People’s Committees shall perform the state
management of external information activities in their localities.
2. Contents of state management of external information:
a/ To develop and propose competent agencies to promulgate or promulgate
according to competence legal documents, strategies, master plans, plans and
programs on external information activities;
b/ To organize and manage scientific research into external information; to
provide professional training, refresher training and retraining for external
information forces;
c/ To manage, guide, proactively provide information for Vietnamese news
and press agencies; to proactively provide information for foreign news and
press agencies; to provide information for overseas Vietnamese and international
communities; to provide information on the world situation into Vietnam;
d/ To carry out international cooperation on external information activities;
dd/ To inspect, examine, handle violations and settle complaints and
denunciations in external information activities in accordance with law;
e/ To hold preliminary and final reviews of external information activities;
to propose commendation and reward as well as discipline for agencies,
organizations and individuals engaged in external information activities.

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 Article 5. Funds for external information activities
Funds for external information activities of ministries, ministerial-level
agencies, government-attached agencies and provincial-level People’s
Committees shall come from the state budget according to the current state
budget decentralization and other lawful sources. Annually, based on plans on
external information activities of ministries, ministerial-level agencies,
government-attached agencies and provincial-level People’s Committees
assigned by competent authorities, agencies and units shall make cost estimates
for implementation, include them in their budget estimates and submit them to
finance agencies for submission to competent authorities for consideration and
decision in accordance with the State Budget Law.
Chapter II
EXTERNAL INFORMATION ACTIVITIES
Article 6. External information
External information comprises official information on Vietnam,
information promoting the image of Vietnam, and information on the world
situation into Vietnam.
Article 7. Provision of official information on Vietnam
1. Official information on Vietnam means information on guidelines of the
Party, policies and laws of the State; information on the situation of Vietnam in
various fields; information on the history of Vietnam and other information.
2. Official information on Vietnam shall be proactively provided to
international communities and overseas Vietnamese by ministries, ministerial-
level agencies, government-attached agencies and provincial-level People’s
Committees according to their functions, tasks and powers.
3. Official information on Vietnam may be provided in the following
forms:
a/ Official statements delivered at international events and forums,
international press conferences and national press conferences;
b/ Official statements of state management agencies;
c/ External activities of state management agencies;
d/ External activities, making of statements, organization of events,
publication of information on websites and other activities of overseas
representative missions of Vietnam;
dd/ News programs and products of press agencies of the Government,
including Vietnam News Agency, Vietnam Television and Voice of Vietnam;
e/ Publication on Vietnam Government Web Portal, the external
information website, and web portals of ministries, ministerial-level agencies,
government-attached agencies and provincial-level People’s Committees;

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 g/ State agencies’ publications in Vietnamese and foreign languages.
4. The provision of official information on Vietnam in all forms must
comply with current law.
Article 8. Provision of information promoting the image of Vietnam
1. Information promoting the image of Vietnam means information on the
land, people, history and culture of the Vietnamese nation.
2. Information promoting the image of Vietnam may be provided to
international communities and overseas Vietnamese by agencies, organizations
and individuals.
3. Information promoting the image of Vietnam may be provided in the
following forms:
a/ Publications in Vietnamese and foreign languages;
b/ Events organized in Vietnam and overseas;
c/ News products of the mass media;
d/ Events organized by Vietnam Culture Centers abroad;
dd/ Products of foreign news and press agencies and communication
companies;
e/ External and international cooperation activities of agencies,
organizations and individuals.
4. The provision of information promoting the image of Vietnam in all
forms must comply with Vietnamese law and laws of host countries.
Article 9. Provision of information on the world situation into Vietnam
1. Information on the world situation into Vietnam means information on
the world situation in various fields, information on relations between Vietnam
and other countries and other information aiming to boost political, social,
cultural, defense and security relations between Vietnam and other countries;
serve national economic development; and step up the international integration
of Vietnam.
2. Information on the world situation into Vietnam shall be collected,
summarized and provided to competent agencies, the press and people of
Vietnam by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ministries, ministerial-level
agencies, overseas representative missions of Vietnam, other overseas agencies
and organizations of Vietnam and news and press agencies of the Government
(Vietnam News Agency, Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam) according to
their law-prescribed functions, tasks and powers.
3. Information on the world situation into Vietnam may be provided by the
agencies and organizations specified in Clause 2 of this Article in the following
forms:

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 a/ Through spokespersons;
b/ Publication on web portals and websites;
c/ At regular press conferences and press briefings;
d/ Through the mass media.
4. The provision of information on the world situation into Vietnam must
comply with current regulations concerning the forms specified in Clause 3 of
this Article.
Article 10. Provision of explaining and clarifying information
1. Explaining and clarifying information means materials, documents,
records and arguments which explain and clarify slanted information on
Vietnam in various fields.
2. When receiving slanted information, documents or reports that affect the
prestige and image of Vietnam from organizations and individuals abroad and at
home, ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies,
provincial-level People’s Committees and related agencies shall proactively
provide materials, documents, records and arguments for explanation and
clarification; and take necessary public information measures to protect and
promote the prestige and image of Vietnam.
3. The Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of
Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and related ministries and
agencies shall, according to their law-prescribed functions, tasks and powers,
review foreign news to detect slanted information on Vietnam and notify to
concerned ministries and agencies to proactively provide explaining and
clarifying information and concurrently to the Ministry of Information and
Communications for monitoring, summarization and reporting to the Prime
Minister.
Article 11. External information website
1. The external information website shall provide official information and
information promoting the image of Vietnam on the internet.
2. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall assume the
prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related ministries and agencies in,
managing and operating the external information website; ensuring full update
of information meeting external information requirements.
Article 12. Database on external information
1. The database on external information is a system of data digitalized and
integrated from data systems of ministries, ministerial-level agencies and
provincial-level People’s Committees to serve the external information task.

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 2. The database on external information is a source to provide official
information on Vietnam to the mass media at home and abroad and serves
information search, learning and research into Vietnam.
3. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall assume the
prime responsibility for, and coordinate with ministries, ministerial-level
agencies, government-attached agencies, provincial-level People’s Committees
and related agencies in, developing, managing and exploiting the database on
external information.
4. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies,
provincial-level People’s Committees, overseas representative missions of
Vietnam and Vietnamese news and press agencies shall provide information for
the development and completion of the database on external information.
Article 13. External publications
1. External publications means publications in Vietnamese and foreign
languages which provide official information on Vietnam and promote the
image of Vietnam to international communities and overseas Vietnamese.
2. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall assume the
prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies, provincial-
level People’s Committees and related agencies in, developing plans to publish
and distribute external publications in specific fields.
Article 14. Overseas events
1. Overseas events include the Vietnam Day overseas and other events held
by ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies and
provincial-level People’s Committees in order to promote the land, people,
history and culture of the Vietnamese nation, enhance the friendship and
relations with other countries, and mobilize and attract investment and tourism,
exchange trade and expand cooperation.
2. The Government shall prescribe the organization of the Vietnam Day
overseas.
3. Overseas representative missions of Vietnam, overseas bureaus of
Vietnamese news and press agencies and overseas Vietnam Culture Centers shall
coordinate with and support ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-
attached agencies and provincial-level People’s Committees in organizing events
in host countries.
4. Agencies hosting overseas events shall coordinate with the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Information and Communications and related
agencies in developing plans for organizing these events.
5. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies and
provincial-level People’s Committees shall make reports on results of overseas

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events according to regulations and currently send them to the Ministry of
Information and Communications for summarization and reporting.
Article 15. Support and cooperation with foreign news and press agencies,
communication companies and reporters to promote Vietnam overseas
1. Foreign news and press agencies, communication companies and
reporters shall be supported and facilitated in writing news and articles and
producing programs and publications in order to introduce Vietnam in the
foreign mass media.
2. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall assume the
prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related agencies in, developing
mechanisms and policies for the support and cooperation prescribed in Clause 1
of this Article.
3. Information and press activities of foreign news and press agencies and
communication companies in Vietnam must comply with the Government’s
Decree No. 88/2012/ND-CP of October 23, 2012, on information and press
activities of the foreign press, foreign representative missions and foreign
organizations in Vietnam, and relevant legal documents.
Article 16. Overseas representative missions of Vietnam
1. Overseas representative missions of Vietnam shall provide information
on the situation of host countries, bilateral relations and other information into
Vietnam for competent agencies in accordance with Articles 5, 6, 7 and 9 of the
Law on Overseas Representative Missions of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
2. Overseas representative missions of Vietnam shall provide information
on Vietnam to introduce and promote the image of Vietnam through their
websites, press conferences, interviews and other activities. The Ministry of
Foreign Affairs shall direct and guide overseas representative missions of
Vietnam in performing the above tasks.
3. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall direct overseas representative
missions of Vietnam in developing websites in English and native languages;
and updating information on Vietnam from the database on external information.
Article 17. Overseas bureaus of Vietnamese news and press agencies
1. Overseas bureaus of Vietnamese news and press agencies (below
referred to as overseas news bureaus) shall provide information on the situation
of host countries into Vietnam for press agencies of the Government.
2. Overseas news bureaus shall:
a/ Coordinate with related ministries and agencies in introducing and
promoting the image of the land, people, history and culture of the Vietnamese
nation; provide information on the socio-economic situation, guidelines of the
Party and policies and law of the State of Vietnam;

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 b/ Coordinate and implement international cooperation programs in the
fields of information and press.
3. Vietnamese news and press agencies shall direct their overseas news
bureaus in providing information and participating in activities serving external
information tasks at the request of the Ministry of Information and
Communications; and periodically and irregularly report to the Ministry of
Information and Communications and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on
external information activities of their overseas news bureaus.
Chapter III
RESPONSIBILITIES FOR MANAGEMENT OF EXTERNAL
INFORMATION ACTIVITIES
Article 18. The Ministry of Information and Communications
1. To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related
agencies in, developing and guiding the implementation of, legal documents,
strategies, master plans, plans and programs on external information.
2. To guide external information contents to domestic news and press
agencies.
3. To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with professional
agencies in, carrying out international cooperation on external information
activities.
4. To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related
agencies in, examining and assessing the effectiveness of external information
work of ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies,
provincial-level People’s Committees and press and publication agencies at
home and abroad.
5. To develop mechanisms for exchange, coordination, provision and
sharing of information between state agencies and press agencies.
6. To develop and implement plans on training and retraining in external
information skills and operations for persons in charge of external information
work in ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies,
provincial-level People’s Committees, and press and publishing agencies, and
for editors and translators.
7. To inspect, examine, handle violations and settle complaints and
denunciations in external information activities in accordance with law.
8. To make and submit to the Government reports on external information
activities; to guide contents and time to get data for reporting.
9. To hold preliminary and final reviews on external information activities;
to commend and discipline agencies, organizations and individuals engaged in
external information activities.

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 Article 19. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
1. To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related
ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies and
provincial-level People’s Committees in, carrying out external information
activities overseas; to coordinate with the Ministry of Information and
Communications in managing external information activities overseas.
2. To voice official views and stance of Vietnam on international issues; to
organize international press conferences; to prepare answers of state leaders and
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to interviews of foreign reporters.
3. To coordinate with related ministries and agencies in guiding local press
in covering external activities of state leaders and the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and coordinate in guiding the coverage of external-related international
and domestic issues.
4. To monitor, study and sum up foreign news to serve external
information.
5. To guide and provide information for the foreign press; to provide
information for overseas Vietnamese communities and international
communities; to provide information on the world situation to Vietnamese
people.
Article 20. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism
1. To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry
of Information and Communications and related agencies in, providing
information on and introducing and promoting the culture and tourism of
Vietnam.
2. To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Information and Communications and related
ministries and agencies in, organizing overseas events under its management.
3. To direct overseas Vietnam Culture Centers in external information work
in host countries, to effectively use and create conditions for related agencies to
use overseas Vietnam Culture Centers to serve external information activities.
Article 21. The Ministry of Public Security
1. To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry
of Information and Communications in, guiding and examining organizations
and individuals at home and abroad in observing the secret protection regime in
external information activities in order to ensure that external information
activities comply with this Decree.
2. To monitor and summarize information relating to external security to
propose guidelines and measures for explanation and clarification of slanted
information on Vietnam.

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 3. To ensure security and safety for external information activities in line
with orientations of the Party and the State; to detect and fight activities of
hostile forces taking advantage of external information against Vietnam.
4. To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry
of Information and Communications and related ministries and agencies in,
organizing specialized external information activities through particular
channels and measures, contributing to ensuring national interests and security
of Vietnam.
Article 22. The Ministry of Finance
1. To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with the Ministry
of Information and Communications in, appraising annual budget estimates for
external information activities and submitting them to competent authorities for
approval.
2. To ensure state budget funds for the implementation of external
information programs, plans, schemes and activities already approved by the
Government or the Prime Minister.
3. To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with related
agencies in, developing mechanisms, policies and funding norms for external
information activities.
Article 23. The Ministry of Home Affairs
To coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications and
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in promulgating documents guiding the
strengthening of the state management apparatus for external information; to
guide ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies and
provincial-level People’s Committees in assigning personnel to take charge of
external information work.
Article 24. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached
agencies, provincial-level People’s Committees
1. To organize the provision of information for the people to understand
Vietnam’s international integration process and opportunities, risks and
challenges in this process; to train and retrain in external information skills for
personnel in charge of this work.
2. To direct the development and organize the implementation of their
action plans and work plans on external information.
3. To annually develop plans and cost estimates for external information
activities, include them in their budget estimates and send them to the finance
agencies of the same level for summarization and submission to competent
authorities for consideration and decision.

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 4. To update information and develop their external information data
systems and integrate them into the database on external information to promote
the image of Vietnam overseas.
5. To coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications in
carrying out international cooperation on external information activities.
6. To hold preliminary and final reviews on the effectiveness of external
information activities under their management and send reports to the Ministry
of Information and Communications or irregular reports when so requested for
summarization and reporting to the Government.
7. To assign organizations or individuals to take charge of external
information activities.
8. To ensure confidentiality of information under their management
according to regulations on confidentiality; to organize inspection, examination,
handling of violations and settlement of complaints and denunciations in
external information activities under their management.
9. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government-attached agencies,
provincial-level People’s Committees and news and press agencies of Vietnam
shall periodically or extraordinarily report on external information activities
under their management.
Chapter IV
IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS
Article 25. Effect
1. This Decree takes effect on October 22, 2015.
2. The Prime Minister’s Decision No. 79/2010/QD-TTg of November 30,
2010, ceases to be effective on the effective date of this Decree.
Article 26. Responsibilities for guidance and implementation
1. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall guide and urge
the implementation of this Decree as assigned by the Government.
2. Ministers, heads of ministerial-level agencies, heads of government-
attached agencies and chairpersons of provincial-level People’s Committees
shall implement this Decree.-
On behalf of the Government
Prime Minister
NGUYEN TAN DUNG

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