Vietnam marks 80 years of its first Constitution

Following the success of the August Revolution in 1945, drafting a Constitution became an urgent task to establish the legal foundations of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. (In the photo, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam and other senior Party and State leaders attend the ceremony in Hanoi on November 6, 2026).

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The draft Constitution was made public in November 1945, allowing people across the country to contribute their views on the future of the new state.

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At its second session on November 9, 1946, the first National Assembly adopted the Constitution, laying the foundations for state organisation and affirming that all state power belonged to the people. (In the photo, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam delivers the opening speech at the ceremony)

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Adopted on December 31, 1959, the Constitution provided the legal foundation for socialist construction in northern Vietnam and the struggle for national reunification. (In the photo, National Assembly President Tran Thanh Man addresses the ceremony in Hanoi.)

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Adopted after national reunification, the 1980 Constitution reflected the new stage of building a unified Vietnam towards socialism. (In the photo, Vice President of the National Assembly Do Van Chien speaks at the event.)

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Adopted on April 15, 1992, the Constitution provided a legal framework for the country's comprehensive renewal, including the development of a multi-sector economy.

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The 2013 Constitution affirmed the nature of Vietnam as a socialist rule-of-law state of the people, by the people and for the people, and devoted a chapter to citizens' fundamental rights and duties.

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On June 16, 2025, the National Assembly adopted Resolution No. 203, amending and supplementing some articles of the 2013 Constitution, including provisions on the organisation of local government at two levels. (In the photo, delegates attend the ceremony in Hanoi on November 6, 2026)

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Across five Constitutions, from 1946 to 2013, and the 2025 amendments, Vietnam's constitutional framework has evolved in response to the country's changing development needs.