A Sweden – Vietnam Cooperation Agreement to support legal and judicial reforms in Vietnam was signed in Hanoi on April 25, 2007 in presence of the Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation, Gunilla Carlsson. In effect, 6.5 million SEK was funded to the Ministry of Justice of Vietnam.
The agreement aims to help develop a rule of law state that ensures predictability, equality and human rights protection with a focus of providing formal justice system to the poor.
“The establishment of a National Bar Association is an important step in the development of a legal profession. Sweden is pleased to support this establishment and our experience tells us that only an independent legal profession can genuinely gain the trust of the public and the respect of the justice system,” said Minister Carlsson.
Sweden-Vietnam cooperation in the legal sector started in the early 1990’s as the first donors to support capacity building of the Ministry of Justice. To date, Sweden’s support in the sector include legal education through two Law Universities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; legal aid by supporting the National Legal Aid System for the poor and the disadvantaged; child rights and juvenile justice through UNICEF; legal reform and the implementation of the Legal System Development Strategy via UNDP. Sweden also supported Vietnam develop the Law on Lawyers.
The overall goals have been and still are to support Vietnam in the process towards the development of the Rule of Law and the improved protection of Human Rights. Last year, over 78.6 million SEK (approximately 10 million USD) was disbursed for all projects and programmes in the legal sector.
