Gov’t finalise decree guiding implementation of Law on Belief and Religion

The information was unveiled at a meeting in Hanoi on October 28 to discuss the draft decree, which specifies provisions of the law and measures for its implementation.

The meeting, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung, was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education and Training and other relevant agencies.

According to the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, the agency leading the drafting process, the decree aims to fully and promptly institutionalise the Party’s policies and guidelines on promoting democracy and ensuring everyone’s right to freedom of belief and religion, in line with Vietnam’s socio-economic conditions.

The draft will provide detailed guidance on provisions of the 2026 Law on Belief and Religion while addressing difficulties in implementing other Government decrees concerning the delegation and decentralisation of authority, as well as the division of responsibilities between the two-tier local government system in ethnic affairs, belief and religion.

A key objective is to further simplify administrative procedures, improve transparency and expand the use of information technology and digital transformation in the management of belief and religious affairs, thereby better safeguarding freedom of belief and religion.

The draft introduces provisions on its scope and implementation measures, religious and belief-related activities in cyberspace, state management measures, and the qualifications, forms and methods of training at religious educational institutions.

During the drafting process, the proposed provisions have been reviewed to ensure consistency with international human rights standards set out in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Vietnam is a party. The decree is also intended to safeguard human and citizens’ rights while improving the effectiveness and efficiency of state management.

Representatives of the ministries and agencies attending the meeting agreed on the need to issue the decree to give effect to the 2026 Law on Belief and Religion.

In his concluding remarks, Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung commended the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs for following the required drafting procedures and conducting several rounds of consultations.

He called on the ministry, together with relevant ministries and agencies, to continue carefully reviewing the draft and ensure compliance with the procedures stipulated in the Law on the Promulgation of Legal Documents.

The Deputy Prime Minister asked the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs to focus on finalising the draft decree and its accompanying dossier to ensure that the provisions are robust, feasible and effective in practice.

The ministry is expected to incorporate feedback and complete the dossier, with a view to submitting it to the Government in November 2026 for consideration by Government members. The draft will then be further revised to ensure the decree can be issued in a timely manner.

National Assembly approves revised Law on Belief and Religion

VOV.VN - The National Assembly on April 23 unanimously adopted the revised Law on Belief and Religion, reinforcing the legal framework for religious freedom and introducing provisions on online religious activities.