DECREE No.37-CP OF APRIL 26, 1997 ON THE TASKS, POWERS AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE OF THE COMMITTEE FOR OVERSEAS VIETNAMESE UNDER THE MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS

THE GOVERNMENT

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government of September 30, 1992;

Pursuant to Decree No.82-CP of November 10, 1993 of the Government on the tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs;

Pursuant to Decree No.77-CP of November 6, 1995 of the Government on the attachment of the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs;

At the proposals of the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister-Chairman of the Government Commission on Organization and Personnel,

DECREES:

Article 1.- The Committee for Overseas Vietnamese functions as a General Department attached to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to assist the Minister for Foreign Affairs in exercising the function of State management and in guiding the work regarding overseas Vietnamese.

Article 2.- The Committee for Overseas Vietnamese has the following tasks and powers:

1. Studying, summing up and evaluating the situation of the community of overseas Vietnamese; proposing to the Government and the concerned agencies the policies towards the community.

2. Elaborating legal documents related to overseas Vietnamese for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to submit them to the Government and organizing their enforcement after promulgation.

3. Coordinating with the concerned agencies in protecting the legitimate rights and interests of overseas Vietnamese on the basis of Vietnamese laws, laws of the countries concerned and international law.

4. Working out policies and methods for mobilizing overseas Vietnamese to raise their sense of community, unite and help one another, promote the patriotic tradition and preserve the national identity; creating favorable conditions for overseas Vietnamese to contribute to building the homeland and help their relatives living in the home country; coordinating with the mass organizations in mobilizing their relatives in the country, studying suitable forms of organization and measures to make full use of the forces within the community with a view to protecting the community, enhancing the unity in the community, contributing to national construction.

5. Guiding and assisting overseas Vietnamese in their relations with the home country; introducing the potentials of overseas Vietnamese to people in the country; establishing, together with State agencies, mass organizations and socio-economic organizations in the country, the relationships of cooperation in the fields of economy, science, technique, technology, education, training and culture and other fields between overseas Vietnamese and the home country; helping intellectuals in the community of overseas Vietnamese to contribute to the national industrialization and modernization.

6. Coordinating with the ministries and branches in the country in disseminating information, lines and policies of the Party and State, the situation of economic, cultural and social development in the country to the overseas Vietnamese so as to meet their demand for understanding the situation of the country, preserving the national cultural identity and learning the Vietnamese language, and at the same time in introducing to the people in the country the cultural, technical, technological and economic achievements of the community.

7. Coordinating with the domestic agencies, the localities, the overseas Vietnamese representative offices in guiding and directing the work related to the implementation of the policies, the management and mobilization of overseas Vietnamese in accordance with Vietnamese laws and the laws of the countries concerned.

8. Building up international cooperative relations with foreign countries and international organizations in the work related to overseas Vietnamese under the direction of the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

9. Training and fostering cadres for the overseas Vietnamese work.

10. Managing officials and employees and material facilities of the Committee in accordance with the regulations of the State and the assignment of responsibilities by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Article 3.- The Committee is headed by a Chairman and a number of Vice-Chairmen.

The Chairman of the Committee shall be a Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs to be appointed and dismissed by the Prime Minister at the proposal of the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Vice-Chairmen shall be appointed and dismissed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The Committee is entitled to use its own seal with the symbol of the national emblem thereon.

Article 4.- The apparatus of the Committee is composed of:

- The Office of the Committee (including the Information and Documentation Center)

- The Department for Study and Synthesis on the Community�s Work;

- The Department for Economic Relations, Science and Technology;

- The Department for Information and Culture (including the "Que Huong" (Homeland) magazine and the "Nghe-Nhin" (Audio-Visual) pictorial.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs shall specify the functions, tasks, organizational structure, staff and working regime of the above-said units.

In foreign countries, the Chiefs of overseas Vietnamese representative offices shall take responsibility before the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the work on overseas Vietnamese.

Article 5.- This Decree replaces Decree No.74-CP of July 30, 1994 on the tasks, powers and organizational structure of the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, Decree No.77-CP of November 6, 1995 on the attachment of the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the earlier provisions which are contrary to this Decree are now annulled.

Article 6.- The Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Ministers, the Heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the Heads of the agencies attached to the Government, the Presidents of the People�s Committees of the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government shall have to implement this Decree.

On behalf of the Government

For the Prime Minister

Deputy Prime Minister

PHAN VAN KHAI