Vietnam's National Assembly Convenes First Extraordinary Session of 16th Legislature, Tackles 8 Draft Laws

Vietnam's National Assembly commenced its first extraordinary session of the 16th Legislature on August 3, a meeting dedicated to reviewing eight draft laws and addressing personnel matters. This special session is convened outside the two regular annual sessions to promptly legislate Central Committee directives and resolve urgent issues that cannot be delayed. The session began with a preparatory meeting at 8:00 AM, where delegates heard reports on the proposed program, followed by discussions and a vote on the final agenda. The official opening ceremony, held from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM and broadcast live, included a flag-raising ceremony, introduction of delegates, and an opening speech by National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man. During the opening plenary, the Assembly heard submissions and verification reports on eight draft laws. These included amendments to the Law on Legal Dissemination and Education, the Law on State Compensation Liability, several provisions of laws concerning the State Bank of Vietnam, anti-money laundering, and credit institutions, and adjustments to the list of conditional business sectors under the Law on Investment. Following a break, from 9:50 AM to 10:30 AM, the Assembly reviewed submissions and verification reports for four more draft laws: the Law on Mediation at the Grassroots Level (amended), and amendments to the Law on Publishing, the Law on Customs, and the Law on Architecture. From 10:30 AM, the Assembly convened in a closed session to handle personnel-related decisions within its authority. In the afternoon, delegates engaged in group discussions on three draft laws: the amended Law on Legal Dissemination and Education, the amended and supplemented Law on State Compensation Liability, and the amended Law on Mediation at the Grassroots Level. The extraordinary session is expected to last approximately 17 days, divided into two phases. The first phase runs from August 3 to the morning of August 13, and the second phase from August 19 to August 24. The Assembly has scheduled workdays on Saturdays, August 8 and 22, and Sundays, August 9 and 23. During the break between phases, relevant National Assembly committees, government agencies, and related units will consolidate delegate feedback and refine the draft laws and resolutions before they are presented for a vote. In total, the National Assembly will consider and decide on 33 contents during this session, including 15 draft laws and 4 draft resolutions for adoption, 7 draft laws for their first review, and 7 important national issues.