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To ensure legal continuity and clarity in the implementation of international agreements amid ongoing administrative reorganization, the Government has introduced new legal provisions to manage the transition of authority across various levels of state administration.
Accordingly, Decree 177/2025/ND-CP, issued on June 20, amends and supplements several existing decrees on international agreements, aiming to address key legal and administrative challenges resulting from the reallocation of functions and changes in administrative boundaries under the new local governance structure.
The Decree provides specific guidance on handling existing international agreements affected by the reorganization of state administrative bodies. It applies to agreements signed prior to July 1, 2025, on behalf of district-level People’s Committees; ministerial departments or directorate-level agencies; provincial-level government bodies; departments under provincial authorities; border commune-level People’s Committees; and multiple agencies or organizations acting jointly.
Under the new provisions, provincial-level People’s Committees are assigned responsibility for succeeding international agreements previously concluded by district-level People’s Committees prior to the July 1 reorganization deadline.
Specifically, provincial authorities will inherit the functions, responsibilities, and powers of the agencies that originally proposed and implemented these agreements. They are also required to update administrative titles and designations in the inherited agreements to reflect changes brought about by the restructuring process.
Chairs of provincial-level People’s Committees are empowered to decide on the amendment, supplementation, termination, withdrawal from, or temporary suspension of inherited international agreements. They may also initiate the signing of new agreements on behalf of the provincial-level People’s Committee to replace inherited ones, where necessary and upon mutual agreement with foreign partners. Furthermore, they are authorized to take appropriate measures to protect Vietnam’s rights and interests if any provisions of inherited agreements are breached.
The Decree also outlines the responsibilities of agencies that have taken over the functions and powers of provincial-level state bodies following the restructuring. These include reviewing existing agreements potentially affected by administrative reorganization—especially where rights and obligations of the Vietnamese signatory are concerned—and engaging with foreign partners to agree on required amendments, such as updates to agency names and other relevant provisions.
By: VLLF
