The fight against corruption in Vietnam took another promising turn this week as top officials from the Vietnamese government vowed to meet the UN convention requirements against corruption. Meanwhile, several foreign diplomats also vowed to hold their host nation accountable to their ambitious promise and to make sure that it would indeed be carried out.
This took place during a two-day workshop hosted at the Danish Embassy in Hanoi. The workshop was held in cooperation with the so-called Government Inspection in order to identify issues and difficulties for Vietnam in joining the United Nations Convention against Corruption.
According to several of the present Vietnamese officials, Vietnam’s law on criminal procedure, criminal code, bidding laws, and other anti-corruption laws all meet Convention requirements. Chairman of the National Assembly, Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong, also confirmed the government’s determination to make breakthroughs with the newly formed Commission on Corruption, which is to be assigned more authority.
However, the hosts at the Danish Embassy made sure that the picture wasn’t painted too brightly. Charlotte Laursen, the Deputy Head of Mission to Vietnam, reminded everyone that corruption in Vietnam was still rampant, requiring stronger commitment and higher determination from the Vietnamese government.
This statement was seconded by Mr. Nguyen Huu Hieu, the representative of the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), who added that the assessment by the government was only on paper, citing that anti-corruption laws were in effect but the promulgation of guideline decrees were still slow.
