Vietnam's National Assembly Convenes Extraordinary Session for Key Legislation

The 16th National Assembly (NA) of Vietnam commenced its first extraordinary session in Hanoi on August 3. Lawmakers are slated to consider and decide on a series of crucial items, encompassing 15 draft laws, four draft normative resolutions, and various significant matters pertaining to national development. During the inaugural day of the session, proposals and verification reports were presented concerning two key bills: the Law amending and supplementing several articles of the Law on Customs, and the Law revising Article 6 and Appendix IV, which outlines the list of conditional business lines under the Law on Investment. Furthermore, legislators engaged in discussions regarding the draft revised Law on Dissemination and Education of Law and the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on State Compensation Liability. These legislative discussions are integral to the broader initiatives initiated by Resolution No. 19-NQ/TW, adopted at the third plenum of the 14th Party Central Committee. This resolution designates breakthroughs in institutional frameworks and reforms as the foundational element for revitalizing Vietnam’s development model. It also emphasizes reforms in national governance, organizational structures, and operational processes to foster new development capacities. A significant evolution in Vietnam's reform agenda is the transition from a primary focus on "organizational restructuring" to an emphasis on "improving governance effectiveness." As organizational reforms have largely reached completion, the paramount task now lies in ensuring the enhanced operational efficiency of the reformed systems. NA Chairman Tran Thanh Man underscored that, guided by the Party's leadership and fostered through robust collaboration among the NA, the Government, and pertinent agencies, institutional and legal reforms have yielded commendable outcomes. These achievements are particularly evident in the modernization of the legislative process and the integration of advanced technologies, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence. In parallel, the diplomatic sector marked the official opening of the 33rd Diplomatic Conference in Hanoi on August 1. This conference featured presentations from various ministries, central agencies, and local authorities, offering profound analyses of practical developments and proposing innovative solutions. These contributions are designed to bolster the nation's diplomatic agenda in this new era of development. Vietnam remains steadfast in its commitment to consistently uphold its foreign policy principles of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development. Concurrently, it aims to diversify and multilateralize its external relations, thereby deepening its international integration and maximizing the protection of national interests.