Vietnam to Amend Land Law to Optimize National Resources and Protect Citizen Rights

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam has decided on a direction for amending the Land Law and related legislation, aiming to strengthen the management and utilization of land resources to achieve national growth targets and foster rapid, sustainable development in a new era. Resolution No. 21-NQ/TW, issued on July 28, 2026, from the third plenum of the 14th Central Committee, defines land as a "special national resource, a space for survival and development, a unique means of production, and a crucial resource for national development." It reiterates that land is collectively owned by the people, with the state acting as the representative owner and ensuring unified management. The resolution emphasizes the need to perfect land institutions and policies to align with the socialist-oriented market economy. The resolution sets the goal of making land a "strategic resource, a competitive advantage, and a driving force for national development in the new phase." Specific objectives include completing the construction of a national land information database by the end of 2026 and largely finishing land surveying and registration by the end of 2027. By 2030, the legal framework for land is expected to be harmonized with the socialist-oriented market economy and meet the nation's development needs. The resolution calls for fostering unified understanding of land management and use, enhancing public awareness of the people's collective ownership and the state's role, and ensuring coordination, linkage, and uniformity in related laws through amendments. It also promotes streamlining central and local land management agencies and advancing the decentralization and delegation of authority related to land. Furthermore, it mandates strengthening the Party's oversight and inspection of land policies, building a data-driven power control system, and clarifying the accountability of leaders at all levels for the implementation of land laws. This resolution replaces Resolution No. 18-NQ/TW from the 13th Central Committee's 18th plenum on June 16, 2022, which focused on reforming institutions and policies to enhance land management and utilization efficiency to help Vietnam become a high-income country.