Vo Van Thuong, Permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat. (Source: VNA)

The directive noted that over the past years, under the 8th-tenure Politburo’s Directive No. 56-CT/TW and the 11th-tenure Secretariat’s Conclusion No. 19-KL/TW on the VLA, all-level Party committees, organisations, and administrations have boosted the development and activities of the VLA chapters at all levels.

It pointed out shortcomings in the VLA’s apparatus, especially at the grassroots level, some members’ limited expertise and sense of responsibility, and ineffective activities in some places.

Notably, some Party committees and organisations have yet to be fully aware of the VLA’s position, role, and specific characteristics in the political system, so they haven’t paid due attention to the association’s activities.

Given this, to continue enhancing the Party’s leadership and further bring into play the VLA’s role in the new context, the Politburo demanded all-level Party committees and organisations improve their awareness of the VLA’s position, role, and responsibility; consolidate the VLA’s apparatus; step up personnel training in political thought, morality, and expertise; and promote member examination and supervision.

The VLA was requested to strongly reform activities; improve the quality of its participation in the lawmaking process; increase disseminating the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws; actively give legal advice and assistance to people, especially low-income earners and those in remote areas; proactively take part in judicial and administrative reforms, corruption prevention and control, and the selection and training of judges and procurators.

In addition, the Politburo ordered promoting the VLA’s role in people-to-people diplomacy, expanding the association’s cooperation with progressive organisations and people in the region and the world, popularising the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws to other countries to reject hostile forces’ wrongful arguments and distortions, and encouraging overseas Vietnamese lawyers to contribute to the homeland’s development.

The VLA was also asked to proactively consider and advise the Party and State about legal grounds for sovereignty and territory safeguarding to help defend national interests, according to the directive.