The Vietnamese government has been ramping up initiatives to support legal aid and assistance for its citizens. On December 18, the Hòa Bình Provincial People's Committee held a conference to summarize ten years of implementation of Decision No. 81/2014/QĐ-TTg, which emphasizes cooperation between various governmental bodies and the Vietnam Farmers' Union to engage with citizens, particularly farmers, about their legal rights and the processes available to them.
According to Đinh Thị Thảo, head of the Hòa Bình Farmers' Union, there has been significant progress over the past decade. The union has prioritized dissemination and training concerning laws related to complaints and citizen engagement, which has helped create platforms for effective dialogue between farmers and local authorities. The goal of these initiatives is to facilitate timely resolutions of their concerns and minimize cases of prolonged complaints. Partnerships with relevant agencies have also fortified the structure necessary for citizens to experience the legal framework more effectively.
The local government has reported conducting over 26,780 legal awareness sessions and assisting more than 130,800 members of the Farmers' Union. This has led to more than 26,461 instances where citizens have sought advice or submitted complaints, marking a sharp increase of 22.2% compared to previous years. Plans for the future include diversifying approaches to legal aid, enhancing direct communication with community members, and continuing the development of legal literacy programs.
The provincial government is determined to streamline legal aid across multiple channels. The Đinh Thị Thảo emphasized the importance of direct dialogue, advising members to share their insights and needs openly. The governing authorities aim to establish community legal centers to maintain updated local legal libraries and facilitate grassroots legal education through “law clubs” for farmers.
On another front, the provincial government has also instructed the Department of Justice to implement the Legal Aid Law and to renew legal aid practices for 2015 to 2025. Plans were rolled out for 2024, which anticipate handling approximately 707 legal aid cases, albeit with a slight decline from previous years due to resource constraints.
The center handling legal aid reported processing 430 legal cases, with 39.6% of them meeting success criteria. There’s been recognition of challenges faced by legal professionals involved, which have resulted in reduced effectiveness. To keep the system functioning efficiently, the department is focused on improving capacities through training and increasing community awareness about available legal support.
Beyond individual need, the Vietnamese government is also aiming to reform public social assistance structures. Recently signed by Deputy Prime Minister Lê Thành Long, Decision No. 1575/QĐ-TTg approves plans to upgrade social support facilities from 2021 to 2030, with the vision extending to 2050. The government prioritizes creating new facilities, enhancing existing ones, and acquiring state-of-the-art support and equipment for social aid institutions.
The strategy encompasses investment not just through public funding, but also seeks private investment to construct and maintain social support establishments. These initiatives aim to attract resources from both domestic and international financiers to enrich the social welfare mechanisms available to marginalized communities.
The recruitment of qualified personnel for social assistance establishments is another focus area. Efforts will be directed toward the development of high-standard human resources for the management and daily operations of these facilities, including regular training sessions to boost the professionalism of social workers. The ultimate objective is to build a nimble, accessible support network capable of addressing the needs of society's most vulnerable.
Currently, the Vietnamese government is putting significant effort toward modernizing the initiatives inspired by the laws and decisions enacted to promote legal aid and assistance. The collaborative approach, which integrates various governmental departments along with input from citizen bodies, has shown promise. Still, the real test will come as these plans transition from proposals to active community-based support.
With each step forward, Vietnam is establishing itself as a model for comprehensive legal aid initiatives aimed at providing equitable access and reducing social grievances.
