THE PRIME MINISTER

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To set up the National Committee for AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention and Fight on the basis of merging the Government�s Steering Committee for Social Vices Prevention and Fight, the National Committee for Drug and Prostitution Prevention and Fight and the National Committee for AIDS Prevention and Fight.

The National Committee for AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention and Fight is a joint organization with the function of assisting the Prime Minister in directing and coordinating the AIDS, drug and prostitution prevention and fight.

Article 2.- The National Committee for AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention and Fight has the following tasks:

1. Assisting the Prime Minister in elaborating undertakings, policies, programs and plans on AIDS, drug and prostitution prevention and fight.

2. Assisting the Prime Minister in directing, guiding, urging, supervising and evaluating activities of the ministries, branches and localities in the performance of the AIDS, drug and prostitution prevention and fighting tasks.

3. Assisting the Prime Minister in organizing the coordination among the ministries, branches and mass organizations and guiding the direction of the integration and coordination of programs, plans and resources for the AIDS, drug and prostitution prevention and fight.

4. Summing up and periodically reporting to the Prime Minister on the implementation of the AIDS, drug and prostitution prevention and fight work.

5. Assisting the Prime Minister in directing international cooperation activities in the field of AIDS, drug and prostitution prevention and fight.

Article 3.- The National Committee for AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention and Fight is composed of:

1. Chairman: A Deputy Prime Minister.

2. Vice-chairmen:

- The Minister of Public Security,

- The Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs,

- The Minister of Health,

- 01 representative of the Standing Board of the Presidium of the Vietnam Fatherland front Central Committee.

3. Members:

- 01 Vice Minister of Culture and Information,

- 01 Vice Minister of Education and Training,

- 01 Vice Minister of Finance,

- 01 Vice Minister of Planning and Investment,

- 01 Vice Minister of Justice,

- 01 Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,

- 01 Deputy-Director of the Government�s Office,

- 01 Deputy-Director of the Commission on Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas,

- 01 Deputy General Director of Customs,

- 01 Deputy-Commander of the Border Guard,

- 01 representative of the Secretariat of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee,

- 01 Vice President of Vietnam Women�s Union,

- 01 Vice-President of Vietnam Labor Confederation.

Article 4.- The National Committee for AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention and Fight is assisted by:

1. A section of the Government Office, which assists the National Committee Chairman in summing up the National Committee�s general activities.

2. The standing office for drug prevention and fight, based at the Ministry of Public Security, on the basis of the office of the former National Committee for Drug Prevention and Fight.

The standing office for drug prevention and fight has its own stamp and account.

3. The standing office for AIDS prevention and fight, based at the Ministry of Health, on the basis of the office of the former National Committee for AIDS Prevention and Fight. All staff and material bases of the National Committee for AIDS Prevention and Fight are transferred to the Ministry of Health for management.

The standing office for AIDS prevention and fight has its own stamp and account.

4. The Department for Social Vices Prevention and Fight under the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs shall also work as the standing office for prostitution prevention and fight.

Article 5.- Specific responsibilities of the member agencies of the National Committee for AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention and Fight:

1. The Ministry of Public Security: shall act as the standing body for drug prevention and fight; assume the prime responsibility for and direct the implementation of inter-branch programs and plans on drug prevention, fight and control on the national scale; coordinate with the Ministry of Defense, the General Department of Customs and relevant agencies in detecting, investigating, handling, prosecuting individuals who commit acts of violating the legislation on drug, prostitution and AIDS prevention and fight; concentrate on categorizing drug addicts and prostitutes so as to send them into medical establishments for treatment according to the provisions of the Ordinance on the Handling of Administrative Violations.

2. The Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs: shall act as the standing body for prostitution prevention and fight; assume the prime responsibility for and direct the implementation of inter-branch programs and plans on prostitution prevention and fight on the national scale; organize and manage the medical treatment, detoxification, education, vocational training, job creation and integration into community for drug addicts, prostitutes at medical treatment establishments and in communities.

3. The Ministry of Health: shall act as the standing body for AIDS prevention and fight; assume the prime responsibility for and direct the implementation of inter-branch programs and plans on HIV/AIDS prevention and fight on the national scale; organize medical examination and treatment of social diseases at health establishments, medical treatment establishments and in communities for drug addicts, prostitutes and HIV/AIDS patients; determine detoxification medicines and plans for drug addicts; manage the production, trading and use of addictive medicines and psychotropics for the medical treatment purpose and medicines in support of drug detoxification.

4. Vietnam Fatherland Front: shall assume the prime responsibility for mobilizing people of various strata throughout the country to carry out the work of AIDS, drug and prostitution prevention and fight in close combination with the campaign "The entire population unite to build a cultural life".

5. The Ministry of Culture and Information: shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the relevant agencies in disseminating information and propagate about AIDS, drug and prostitution prevention and fight.

6. The Ministry of Education and Training: shall direct and organize the education on AIDS, drug and prostitution prevention and control in all schools, colleges and universities.

7. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development: shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the Committee for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas and the localities in directing the production restructuring in order to replace opium poppy with other plants.

8. The Committee for Ethnic Minorities and Mountainous Areas: shall coordinate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in directing the production restructuring in order to replace opium poppy with other plants; coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs, the Border Guard Command in directing the drug prevention and fight in mountainous areas and areas inhabited by ethnic minorities.

9. The General Department of Customs: shall coordinate with the Border Guard Command and the Ministry of Public Security in controlling and preventing the illegal transportation of narcotics into and out of Vietnam.

10. The Border Guard Command: shall coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security, the General Department of Customs and relevant branches in controlling and preventing the illegal cross-border transportation of drugs, controlling and preventing the cross-border trafficking of women and girls for prostitution.

11. The Ministry of Finance: shall ensure sufficient and timely State budget allocation according to annual plans for the AIDS, drug and prostitution prevention and fight; join in checking and supervising the use and settlement of such funding according to current regulations of the State.

12. The Ministry of Planning and Investment: shall coordinate with the Ministry of Finance and the relevant ministries and branches in elaborating annual budget estimates for the AIDS, drug and prostitution prevention and fight; and at the same time mobilize other resources in service of this work.

13. The Ministry of Justice: shall assume the prime responsibility and coordinate with the ministries, branches and localities in conducting research to perfect the system of legal documents on AIDS, drug and prostitution prevention and fight; organize propagation, dissemination and education on the legislation on AIDS, drug and prostitution prevention and fight.

14. The Government Office: shall have to assist the Chairman of the National Committee in coordinating general activities in various fields of AIDS, drug and prostitution prevention and fight; sum up the general situation and report it to the Prime Minister.

15. Vietnam Labor Confederation, Vietnam Women�s Union, Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union: shall coordinate with the ministries, branches, localities and other mass organizations in mobilizing the strength of the entire population for AIDS, drug and prostitution prevention and fight.

Article 6.- To set up the Steering Committees for AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention and Fight in various branches and at different levels as follows:

1. The heads of the ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies attached to the Government, shall set up the Steering Committees for AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention and Fight on the basis of merging the Steering Committee for Drug Prevention and Fight, the Steering Committee for Social Vices Prevention and Fight and the Steering Committee for AIDS Prevention and Fight, each of which shall be headed by a vice-minister (or an equivalent post) and composed of part-time staff, who are on the payroll of the ministry or branch.

2. The presidents of the People�s Committees of the provinces and centrally-run cities (collectively called the provincial level) shall set up the Steering Committees for AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention and Fight by merging the Steering Committee for Social Vices Prevention and Fight, the Steering Committee for Drug Prevention and Fight, the Steering Committee for AIDS Prevention and Fight and the 87 Steering Committee, each of which shall be headed by a president or a vice-president of the provincial-level People�s Committee and composed of deputy-heads and other members like the National Committee for AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention and Fight.

The provincial-level Steering Committee for AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention and Fight shall have to assist the provincial-level People�s Committee presidents in directing, deploying and coordinating the AIDS, drug and prostitution prevention and fight in their respective localities; the functions and tasks of these Steering Committees and their member agencies are similar to those of the National Committee and its member agencies.

The provincial-level People�s Committee presidents shall be responsible to the Prime Minister for the situation of AIDS infection and spread and the situation of drug addition and prostitution in their respective localities.

3. Depending on the situation of their respective localities, the presidents of the People�s Committees of the district and commune levels may set up the Steering Committees for AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention and fight of the same levels to carry out the AIDS, drug and prostitution prevention and fight in their respective localities.

Article 7.- The chairman of the National Committee for AIDS, Drug and Prostitution Prevention and Fight shall issue a Regulation on the work, executive mechanism and relationships between the members of the National Committee, between the National Committee and the Steering Committees of the ministries, branches and localities in order to ensure close coordination and unified direction from the central to local level.

Article 8.- This Decision takes implementation effect 15 days after its signing.

This Decision replaces the Prime Minister�s Decisions No. 08/TTg of January 5, 1994 on setting up the Steering Committee for Social Vices Prevention and Fight, Decision No. 686/TTg of August 25, 1997 on setting up the National Committee for Drug Prevention and Fight, Decision No. 1122/1997/QD-TTg of December 24, 1997 on the tasks, powers and organizational structure of the National Committee for AIDS Prevention and Fight and of the organizations in charge of the AIDS prevention and fight in various branches and at various levels and other relevant decisions of the Prime Minister.

Article 9.- The ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the heads of the agencies attached to the Government and the presidents of the People�s Committees of the provinces and cities shall have to implement this Decision.

Prime Minister
PHAN VAN KHAI