Decree No. 41/2025/ND-CP dated February 26, 2025 on functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs

DECREE

ON FUNCTIONS, TASKS, POWERS AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE MINISTRY OF ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS

Pursuant to the Law on Government Organization dated February 18, 2025;

At the request of the Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs;

The Government promulgates the Decree on functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs.

Article 1. Position and functions

The Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs is a governmental agency performing the state management of ethnic affairs; belief, religion and public services under state management of the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs in accordance with the law.

Article 2. Tasks and powers

The Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs shall fulfill its tasks and exercise its powers as prescribed in the Law on Government Organization, regulations of the Government on functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of ministries and ministerial agencies, and the following tasks and powers:

1. Submit the following documents to the Government, including bills, draft resolutions of the National Assembly, draft ordinances draft resolutions of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, draft decrees of the Government according to the Government's approved annual law-making programs/plans and resolutions, projects and schemes as assigned by the Government or the Prime Minister.

2. Submit the following policies to the Government and the Prime Minister for further submission to the National Assembly, including policies on ethnic affairs, belief, religion under its management.

3. Submit the following documents to the Government and the Prime Minister, including annual, medium-term and long-term development strategies, projects and works of national significance under its management.

4. Submit the following documents to the Prime Minister, including draft decisions, directives, national target programs and other documents under its management, or as assigned by the Government or the Prime Minister.

5. Promulgate circulars, decisions, directives and other documents within the scope of its management.

6. Regarding ethnic affairs

a) Submit the following documents to the Government and the Prime Minister, including particular policies, programs, projects, schemes for socio-economic development for communes, hamlets with difficult or particularly difficult socio-economic conditions, mountainous areas, communes in border areas, communes in liberated zones; policies for investment and support for stabilizing life of ethnic minorities; policies and projects for support for people in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions; policies and projects for preserve and development of ethnic minorities with minor population, ethnic minorities with difficulties or particular difficulties;

b) Submit policies on reputable persons in ethnic minorities to the Government and the Prime Minister for promulgation; submit the following documents to the competent authorities for promulgation, including policies for developing human resources, attracting and increasing the number of officials and public employees working in ethnic minority and mountainous areas; policies on improving man's knowledge, training, refresher training, using officials, who are ethnic minorities; particular policies for officials, public employees engaged in ethnic affairs; policies on ethnic minorities to use their spoken and written languages, preserve their cultural identities, customs, traditions and cultures; policies for investing and developing educational facilities to satisfy educational and training requirements in ethnic minority areas;

c) Promulgate or propose promulgation of criteria for delineation of ethnic minority areas based on development levels, list of delineated ethnic minority areas based on development levels; criteria for determination of ethnic minorities with difficulties or particular difficulties;

d) Cooperate with ministries and related agencies in formulating plans for allocation of resources for socio-economic development and other resources for ethnic minority and mountainous areas; submit recommendations and participate in appraisal of programs, projects, schemes, policies related to ethnic minority and mountainous areas in accordance with the law;

dd) Direct, instruct and inspect the organization of province-level and district-level Assemblies of Delegates of Ethnic Minorities; organize activates for exchange and sharing experience among representative of ethnic minorities, reputable persons in ethnic minorities and other events related to ethnic affairs in order to improve the solidarity of ethnic minorities in Vietnam;

e) Manage special schools and other educational institutions as assigned by competent authorities in accordance with the law;

g) Inspect, survey, research, review socio-economic development situations of ethnic groups, components of ethnic groups, names, customs, traditions of ethnic minorities, and other issues of ethnic minorities.

7. Regarding belief, religion

a) Assist the Government in consistently performing state management of belief, religion in accordance with the law;

b) Implement guidelines of the Communist Party of Vietnam, laws of the State, strategies, plans, programs, schemes, projects for belief, religion or related to belief, religion after issued and approved by the competent authorities;

c) Act as the conduit for domestic and international religious institutions, engage in religious diplomacy and human rights advocacy in the religious field; promote the solidarity of the religious community in Vietnam;

d) Instruct belief communities, religious organizations, individuals to operate in accordance with the law;

dd) Take charge and cooperate with ministries, central authorities, local governments of socio-political organizations and related organizations in providing information, encouraging the People to implement guidelines of the Communist Party of Vietnam, laws of the State on belief and religion;

e) Consistently perform management of publication of publications, scriptures, works, teaching materials, and cultural products that reflect pure beliefs of belief communities, religious organizations, individuals, which are allowed to operate by the State;

8. Direct, instruct the formulation of exemplary collectives and individuals, reputable persons in ethnic minorities, reward within competence or request competent authorities to reward outstanding collectives and individuals for having excellent achievements in labor, production, construction, socio-economic development, maintaining security, order, and serving as role models in implementation of guidelines, policies of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and laws of the State in ethnic minority and mountainous areas; reward within competence or request competent authorities to reward and provide benefits for organizations, individuals participating in belief and religious activities.

9. Direct, instruct, take responsibility for implementing issued or approved legislative documents, strategies, plans, policies, programs, projects, national target programs, works of national significance, decisions, directives under its management.

10. Inspect legislative documents related to ethnic, belief, religious affairs issued by ministries, People's Councils, People's Committees of provinces and central-affiliated cities; participate in formulation of legislative documents related to ethnic, belief, religious affairs in accordance with the law.

11. Take charge of preliminary review, review, assessment of the implementation of guidelines, lines, policies of the Communist Party of Vietnam, laws of the State under its management, and submit the results to the Government and the Prime Minister periodically or on ad hoc basis in accordance with the law; act as a focal agency for consistent monitoring and consolidation of policies for ethnic, belief, religious affairs; review and expedite the implementation of policies for ethnic, belief, religious affairs in ministries, ministerial agencies, Governmental and local agencies; submit recommendations to competent authorities for promulgation, amendment to policies for ethnic, belief, religious affairs in conformity with the actual situation, requirements and tasks related to ethnic, belief, religious affairs of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the State.

12. Direct, propagate, encourage the ethnic minorities, communities of people with belief and religion, religious organizations and individuals to implement guidelines, lines, policies of the Communist Party of Vietnam, laws of the State, develop cultural identities, customs and good traditions of ethnic minorities; disseminate, popularize, educate laws under its management, ensure the right to freedom of belief, religion of organizations, individuals, the equality of religions in accordance with the law; formulate and implement schemes, projects for promotion of communication and information at grassroots level of ethnic minority and mountainous areas, broadcast radio broadcasting channels, television channels online; implement policies for legal aid for ethnic minorities.

13. Organize, direct scientific researches, researches on strategic, basic and urgent issues related to ethnic minorities and policies on ethnic affairs, belief, religion; conduct theoretical research and practical review on ethnic, belief, religious affairs; apply, transfer science and technology, and protect environment of ethnic minority and mountainous areas; conduct activities using information technology and digital transformation; build infrastructure for connection and share of information, data related to ethnic, belief, religious affairs within and outside of the scope of the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs.

14. Seek international cooperation in its fields in accordance with the law; attract investment for development of ethnic minority and mountainous areas, disadvantaged and particularly disadvantaged areas in accordance with the law; manage, direct and participate in programs and projects for investment in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, which are donated by foreign nations and organizations, in accordance with the law.

15. Formulate a system of statistical criteria under its management, a system of database on ethnic, belief, religious affairs, and a database on ethnic minorities in Vietnam.

16. Inspect the implementation of policies and laws; resolve complaints, denunciations, recommendations of the citizens; participate in anti-corruption, anti-misconduct, anti-wastefulness efforts and handle violations under its management in accordance with the law.

17. Monitor, inspect, review the situations in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, the practice of ethnic, belief, religious affairs in ministries, ministerial agencies, Governmental and local agencies; submit recommendations to competent authorities for consideration and resolution of issues related to ethnic, belief, religious affairs, ethnic minorities, and persons with belief, religion.

18. Receive, visit and cooperate with other ministries, regulatory authorities, local governments in considering proposals of ethnic minorities, persons with belief, religion in accordance with policies and the law.

19. Provide training, refresher training, professional guidelines in its fields in accordance with the law.

20. Decide and implement the plan for public administration reform, disclose all administrative procedures under its management; perform other tasks related to public administration reform in accordance with the law.

21. Perform state management of public services and provide public services under its management in accordance with the law.

22. Perform management of organizational structure, organizational structure, official payroll, number of job positions, pay grade-based structure of officials, professional title-based structure of public employees; make decisions on appointment, re-appointment, assignment, internal transfer, secondment, resign, discharge, dismissal, commendation, reward, discipline, retirement, salary policy, benefits, training, refresher training for officials, public employees and employees working for the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs in accordance with the law.

23. Formulate annual budget estimates; cooperate with the Ministry of Finance in estimating budget expenditure and revenues under its management for submission to the Government; manage, organize the use of state budget statements; perform other tasks related to management of state budget, financial, assets in accordance with the law.

24. Perform other tasks and powers as assigned by the Government and the Prime Minister, and in accordance with the law.

Article 3. Organizational structure

1. Department of Planning - Finance.

2. Department of Personnel and Organization.

3. Department of Legal Affairs.

4. Department of International Corporation.

5. Inspectorate.

6. Office.

7. Government Committee for Religious Affairs.

8. Department of Dissemination of Ethnic and Religious Affairs.

9. Department of Policies.

10. Digital Transformation Center.

11. Vietnam Academy for Ethnic Minorities.

12. "Dan toc va Phat trien" Newspapers (Ethnic minorities and Development Newspapers).

13. "Nghien cuu Dan toc va Ton giao" Journal (Journal for ethnic minorities and religion research).

Agencies prescribed from clause 1 to clause 9 of this Article are those assisting the Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs in performing state management; the remaining agencies are public service providers serving state management of the Ministry of Ethnic and Religious Affairs.

The Government Committee for Religious Affairs is equivalent to a department and has 07 divisions; The Ministry Office and Ministry Inspectorate has several divisions in accordance with the law.

The Department of Dissemination of Ethnic and Religious Affairs has 02 offices in Dak Lak province and Can Tho city.

The Minister of Ethnic and Religious Affairs shall submit the list of other affiliated public service providers to the Prime Minister for promulgation in accordance with the law.

Article 4. Effect

1. This Circular comes into force from March 01, 2025.

2. This Decree replaces the Decree No. 66/2022/ND-CP dated September 20, 2022 of the Government on functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Committee for Ethnic Minorities; annuls clause 14 Article 2 of the Decree No. 63/2022/ND-CP dated September 12, 2022 of the Government on functions, tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Article 5. Implementation

Ministers, Heads of ministerial authorities, Heads of governmental authorities, Chairpersons of People's Committees of provinces and central-affiliated cities are responsible to implement this Decree.