Danish MPs are visiting Vietnams National Assembly September this year as part of the Good Governance and Public Administration Reform Programme. Their will exchange views with Vetnamese peers on constitutional issues, parliamentary oversight mechanisms and committee hearings, among other issues.
In August 2011 the National Assembly of Vietnam launched a constitutional amendment process that is expected to conclude by the end of 2013. Constitutional reform processes are and should by nature be national. The Danish support to the Vietnamese constitutional amendment process is therefore first and foremost support to national institutions and processes.
First Phase of the support, named “Good Governance and Public Administration Reform Programme “ (GOPA I 2009-2011), Denmark initiated its support to Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (VASS), the Law Faculty of Vietnam National University (VNU) and the Ho Chi Minh City Law University (HCMCLU). The support was provided with a view to strengthen education and training on human rights for law students and researchers, including the establishment of human rights libraries within VNU and HCMCLU.
The achievements of all three institutions within human rights education and research is today widely recognized and acknowledged – this is evidenced not least by the fact that they have been invited by the National Assembly to contribute with their human rights expertise to the ongoing constitutional amendment process. Many of the internal research papers and workshops of the three institutions that feed into this process received the support of Denmark already in 2011 and continue to be supported in 2012.
The GOPA II phase was launched May this year and. It has been granted DKK 60 million equal VND 220 billion to cover cost 2012-2015.
