The Department of Justice of Hai Phong City has released a comprehensive report on the implementation of Resolution No. 59-NQ/TW dated January 24, 2025, by the Politburo, concerning international integration in the new situation. The report highlights that the city's judicial sector has identified international integration as a strategic driver for development, transitioning from a purely administrative mindset to a proactive, multi-faceted integration approach.
A Strategic Framework for Integration
To institutionalize the Politburo's vision, the Department of Justice issued Plan No. 872/KH-STP on March 3, 2026. This cornerstone document defines eight key task groups, ranging from propaganda and legal institutional refinement to international cooperation and legal support for businesses. The plan emphasizes a clear division of responsibilities among units, ensuring that integration tasks are embedded in the daily professional activities of the sector.
Notably, this integration effort is synchronized with the city’s broader development goals, including the inter-sectoral legal support program for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for 2026–2030 and the implementation of United Nations Human Rights recommendations.
Raising Public Awareness and Legal Transparency
In 2025 and the first half of 2026, the Department of Justice leveraged its role as the standing body of the City Council for Law Dissemination and Education to launch an intensive communication campaign. Key accomplishments include:
- Publishing 15 specialized articles on international integration law in the Hai Phong Newspaper’s legal supplement.
- Maintaining a dedicated "International Integration" column on the city's legal information portal, providing core contents of Resolution 59 and the Government's Action Program (Resolution 153/NQ-CP).
- Integrating legal messages into mobile propaganda units and community activities to help citizens and businesses navigate the complexities of new-generation Free Trade Agreements (FTAs).
Legal Refinement and Compatibility with International Standards
A critical achievement of the judicial sector is ensuring that local policies are compatible with Vietnam's international commitments. In the first six months of 2026, the Department evaluated over 40 draft legal documents and provided opinions on 334 others.
Significant focus was placed on high-impact areas such as:
- Specialized Economic Zones and the Hai Phong Free Trade Zone: Reviewing procedures and legal terminology to ensure alignment with international investment treaties.
- Resolution No. 226/2025/QH15: Providing legal opinions on 65 proposed specific mechanisms for Hai Phong’s development, specifically assessing their compatibility with FTAs.
- Administrative Modernization: The city issued Plan No. 225/KH-UBND on June 19, 2026, to prepare for the effective date of the Civil Status Law in 2027. This plan aims to build a modern, unified registration system, including "proactive" birth and death registration models, which meets international standards for population management.
Expanding International Partnerships and Business Support
On the diplomatic front, the Department of Justice marked a milestone in Q1 2026 by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Justice of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. This partnership serves as a foundation for exchanging experiences in judicial management and resolving legal issues with foreign elements.
For the business community, the sector launched Plan No. 165/KH-UBND (May 2026) for inter-sectoral legal support. The program focuses on helping enterprises enhance compliance, prevent legal risks, and exploit opportunities from international trade agreements. In the first half of 2026, the city reported no international disputes or complaints requiring Department-led resolution, reflecting a stable and safe legal environment for investment.
Addressing Challenges and Navigating the Future
Despite these successes, the report identifies several critical hurdles. The human resources specialized in international law, dispute resolution, and foreign languages remain "thin". Most officials perform these tasks concurrently with other duties, while international standards regarding green transformation, digital economy, and labor are evolving rapidly. Additionally, the process of administrative reorganization has created a significant workload in legal review and data standardization.
Looking toward the second half of 2026 and beyond, Hai Phong’s judicial sector is committed to: (1) Refining the 8 task groups under Plan 872 with specific output products and deadlines; (2) Upgrading specialized training in negotiation skills, international contract drafting, and legal English; (3) Enhancing digital integration, specifically by linking the legal education portal with the city’s Intelligent Operation Center (IOC).
By proactively preparing the legal infrastructure and human capital, Hai Phong’s judicial sector is not just following a mandate but is actively building a transparent and reliable legal gateway for the city’s sustainable international integration.