Vietnam is a nation with diverse forms of belief and religion, and a large number of belief and religious followers. Reflecting the policy of respect for and guarantee of the citizens’ right to freedom of belief and religion, to follow or not to follow a religion, and creating conditions for religious communities in Vietnam to be an integral part of the nation and abode by the law, on June18th, 2004, the Standing Committee of the National (XIth Legislature) promulgated the Ordinance on Belief and Religion, and on March 1st, 2005, the Government issued Decree No. 22/2005/ND-CP guiding implementation of a number of articles of the Ordinance on Belief and Religion.
In the process of its implementation, Decree No.22/2005/ND-CP has shown inadequacies and limitations. On November 8th, 2012, the Government issued Decree No.92/2012/ND-CP detailing and providing measures for the implementation of the Ordinance on Belief and Religion, in order to overcome the complications and inadequacies in Decree No.22/2005/ND-CP, ensure effective implementation of the Government Resolution on simplification of administrative procedures, and facilitate belief and religious activities in the framework of the law. This Decree replaces Decree No. 22/2005/ ND-CP and took effect on January 1st, 2013. It is composed of 5 chapters, 14 sections and 46 articles, with amendments and additions, including 12 articles with new stipulations compared with Decree No. 22/2005/ NĐ-CP.
With a view to helping overseas readers, foreigners living and working in Vietnam, and Vietnamese residing abroad study or get acquainted with Vietnamese legislation on belief and religion, notably the newly issued Government Decree No. 92/2012/ND-CP detailing and providing measures for the implementation of the Ordinance on Belief and Religion, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs has compiled the book “Vietnamese Legal Documents on Belief and Religion” in English.
The Government Committee for Religious Affairs would like to recommend it to all readers.
March, 2013
THE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE
FOR RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS
Vietnamese legal documents on belief and religion
