Fund promotes public participation in law making

Police officers and locals in a joint patrol (Source :VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Over the past two and a half years, the Public Participation and Accountability Facilitation Fund (PARAFF) has financed 49 projects in 30 cities and provinces nationwide, contributing to the 13th National Assembly’s law-building programme.

The outcomes were revealed at a meeting in Hanoi on December 10 to review the implementation of the fund. 

Launched in September 2012, the 2.2 million USD fund is supported by Denmark and the UK Department for International Development. 

It seeks to promote public participation and accountability in law making and policy development by strengthening the engagement of non-governmental organisations in these processes at national and sub-national levels as well as in monitoring the policy and law enforcement. 

Addressing the event, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly’s Office Nguyen Sy Dung highlighted the fund’s contributions to supporting Vietnamese non-governmental organisations and people to partake in law making and policy development as well as in supervising law and policy enforcement. 

The deeper participation will help Vietnamese citizens feel they are respected and State agencies ensure their accountability, transparency and publicity, he said. 

Vietnamese non-governmental organisations have played a significant role in sending voices and aspirations of the public to law and decision makers at all levels, Dung added. 

Danish Ambassador to Vietnam Charlotte Laursen noted with pleasure the results brought about by the fund in improving the capacity of Vietnamese non-governmental organisations and citizens in contributing to law making and decision development.-VNA