Improve knowledge and skills to protect the environment
Sustainable development of the country is always closely linked to and goes hand in hand with environmental protection, which is one of the basic viewpoints clearly affirmed in the policies of the Party and State of Vietnam. To better understand the role of the Vietnam Lawyers Association in environmental protection, Nguoi Dua Tin (NDT) had an interview with Dr. Nguyen Van Quyen - President of the Vietnam Lawyers Association.
Investor: Mr. Chairman, environmental issues, especially in big cities like Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and industrial zones, are “hot” issues that always receive attention from all levels and sectors. Could you please share about the current environmental situation in our country?
Chairman Nguyen Van Quyen: It can be seen that the environmental pollution in our country and around the world is at an alarming level and has become a burning issue. The world's population is growing and increasing, leading to high demand for activities but awareness is not improved, causing negative impacts on the environment.
In recent years, in the country, according to the scale of the economy, population, level of industrialization, urbanization and international economic integration, environmental issues are becoming urgent, complex and sensitive issues, directly and multi-facetedly affecting the country's socio-economic life.
There are currently many industrial parks being built nationwide to meet the country's industrialization and modernization process. Some industrial parks have not been properly invested in industrial waste treatment, resulting in more serious environmental pollution due to waste discharge activities.
In addition, the application of scientific and technological advances in agricultural production has not been strictly controlled. Spraying large amounts of chemicals on crops not only affects the health of people consuming the products but also pollutes the soil environment when a large amount of chemicals is not fully absorbed by the plants.
Household waste, industrial waste, medical waste, agricultural waste, and construction waste are also hot issues receiving much attention.
Dr. Nguyen Van Quyen - President of Vietnam Lawyers Association.
Investor: As the Chairman stated, environmental issues and environmental pollution are very pressing issues. So, in recent years, what measures has the Vietnam Bar Association taken to raise awareness of environmental protection among the majority of its officers and members?
Chairman Nguyen Van Quyen: On July 1, 2022, the Politburo issued Directive No. 14-CT/TW on continuing to strengthen the Party's leadership over the Vietnam Lawyers Association in the new situation. This is an important document, a guideline for the Association's activities. Directive 14 continues to affirm the Association's nature as a political - social - professional organization.
With that role and the system of Association organizations in 63 provinces and cities from the central to the grassroots level, the Vietnam Lawyers Association wishes to contribute part of its efforts to bring the Party and State's policies and laws on environmental protection into life. Therefore, on October 5, 2018, the Vietnam Lawyers Association and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment signed Coordination Program No. 03 on coordination in the work of building, disseminating and educating laws in the field of natural resources and environment for the period 2018-2023.
Based on the proposal of the Vietnam Lawyers Association and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Prime Minister agreed to assign the Vietnam Lawyers Association the task of "Propaganda and training to improve knowledge and skills on environmental protection for staff and members of the Lawyers Association at all levels".
This task is carried out continuously and regularly by the Vietnam Lawyers Association. In particular, in 2022-2023, the Vietnam Lawyers Association also organized many propaganda and training sessions to improve knowledge and skills on environmental protection for the staff and members of the Lawyers Association at all levels in provinces and cities such as Quang Ninh, Phu Yen, Hai Duong, Thai Binh... In each training session, we have a reporter to disseminate the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 so that each member of the Association understands their role and responsibility in implementing and propagating to the people.
Vietnam Lawyers Association organizes training courses on "Improving legal knowledge and capacity to monitor implementation of environmental protection" for officers and members of the Lawyers Association.
Contribute to building a clean living environment
Investor: Could you please share more about the role and position of the Vietnam Lawyers Association in environmental protection?
Chairman Nguyen Van Quyen: It is a political-social-professional organization of nearly 80,000 members, the largest organization of those who have been and are working in legal work in all areas of the country's political-economic-social life from the central to the grassroots levels. Over the years, the Vietnam Lawyers Association has participated in developing policies and laws on environmental protection such as participating in the drafting committee, editorial team of the Law on Environmental Protection, draft laws related to environmental protection and draft documents guiding implementation.
Organizing scientific seminars, discussions, conferences to provide comments and social criticism for draft legal documents on environmental protection. This is the most common form implemented by the Lawyers Association at all levels.
Along with that, the Lawyers Association at all levels disseminates and educates on the law, raises public awareness and enhances the effectiveness of law enforcement on environmental protection.
Supervise the implementation of laws on natural resources and environment through the activities of the Vietnam Lawyers Association, Lawyers Associations at all levels and members...
It can be affirmed that over the years, the Association at all levels and members of the Vietnam Lawyers Association have always made efforts, fully participated in training courses and also organized dissemination to the general public.
Propaganda and guidance for people on how to classify domestic solid waste at source.
Investor: Mr. Chairman, how will the Vietnam Lawyers Association monitor the implementation of laws on environmental resources?
Chairman Nguyen Van Quyen: The role of social supervision is extremely important. Through social supervision, violations in the implementation of environmental protection laws will be detected and prevented promptly.
The supervision of the Vietnam Bar Association over the enforcement of environmental protection laws is carried out within the framework of the law as an official institution and with the Joint Regulations between the Politburo and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front as an unofficial (non-state) institution. The methods that the Vietnam Bar Association can use in supervising the enforcement of environmental protection laws are: The Vietnam Bar Association can organize a supervision delegation; participate in supervision with competent agencies and organizations as an independent entity or as a member of the Vietnam Fatherland Front...
Investor: It is known that the Hanoi Bar Association has established a Propaganda and Supervision Team to pilot a model of people's supervision of environmental protection at the Buoi Ward, Tay Ho District. Could you please evaluate the pilot implementation of this supervision model up to now?
Chairman Nguyen Van Quyen: In October 2022, the Buoi Ward Lawyers Association in coordination with the Buoi Ward People's Committee organized a Conference to summarize the pilot dissemination of the 2020 Environmental Protection Law and monitor the implementation of household and individual solid waste classification in alley 8, alley 10, residential group 13, Buoi Ward, Tay Ho District, Hanoi.
The Summary Report on the pilot dissemination of the 2020 Environmental Protection Law and monitoring the implementation of household and individual solid waste classification in alleys 8 and 10, residential group 13, Buoi ward, Tay Ho district assessed that households and individuals in alleys 8 and 10 of Vong Thi have had positive changes in awareness, raised awareness and responsibility in environmental protection work, actively responded and participated in the implementation of household solid waste classification in accordance with regulations, reaching a rate of 95% or more.
In 2023, the Buoi Ward Lawyers Association will continue to organize conferences to disseminate the Law on Environmental Protection (LEP) 2020;
We highly appreciate the results that the Buoi Ward Lawyers Association has been doing, which contributes to reducing solid waste discharged into the environment, helping authorities collect and treat waste more easily and effectively.
From the model of Buoi ward, the leaders of the Vietnam Bar Association hope that in the coming time, Bar Associations at all levels, local organizations, and residential groups will replicate the model so that the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 can truly come into life.
Raising awareness among people and households in reducing solid waste discharged into the environment.
Investor: According to the Chairman, to further promote the role of the Vietnam Lawyers Association in environmental protection, what should each level of the association and its members do?
Chairman Nguyen Van Quyen: To further promote the role of the Vietnam Lawyers Association in environmental protection, we regularly organize training courses on "Improving legal knowledge and capacity to monitor implementation of environmental protection" for officials and members of the Lawyers Association of provinces and cities across the country to promote the role of the Association at all levels in disseminating and popularizing environmental protection laws, and improving knowledge of environmental protection laws for the Association's officials and members.
We hope that through these trainings, we will be able to raise awareness and knowledge in the field of environmental protection for officials and members of the Vietnam Lawyers Association at all levels. Thereby, we will contribute practically and effectively to the work of protecting natural resources and the environment, building a clean living environment, and improving public health.
Investor: Thank you very much, Chairman !
Hoang Bich - Nguyen Nam
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