Perfecting the law on functions and duties of Vietnamese representative agencies abroad

Abstract

The article indicates that the current provisions on the functions and duties of representative missions under the 2009 Law on Overseas Representative Agencies of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (amended in 2017) remain framework-based and lack direct enforceability, leading to formal compatibility but fragmented implementation. Based on normative analysis and international experience, the author proposes amending the Law to position representative agencies as institutions providing transnational public services; clarifying their functions, duties, and mechanisms for inter-sectoral coordination; supplementing the legal framework on citizen protection in times of crisis, economic diplomacy, and digital diplomacy; developing interconnected data platforms; and strengthening legal responsibility and accountability in the operations of representative agencies.