Policy and legal experts are gathering at a two-day conference in the central city of Da Nang to discuss the contributions of social organisations to the law-building process in Vietnam .

Participants in the event, which opened on September 25 as part of a cooperation project between the National Assembly and Germany’s Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), included members of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, representatives of the Vietnam Union of Science and Technology Associations, and NA deputies from central localities.

They reviewed the current legal framework on the participation of social organisations in legislative procedures, while discussing measures to build the State of the rule of law.

Participants also assessed the role of social organisations in legislation, shared practical experience, and devised measures to strengthen the involvement of social organisations in the processes of making laws and supervising their implementation.

According to Dang Dinh Luyen, Deputy Head of the NA Law Committee, in recent years, many laws and regulations have been added to the NA’s law-building programmes, with the active participation of social organisations.

However, he pointed out that few social organisations could voice their opinions on legislation in general, while most of them could only comment on legislation in their respective fields of operations.

At the same time, many responses failed to provide complete information and follow format guidelines, he added.

Meanwhile, lawyer Nguyen Hung Quang from the NHQuang Lawyer and partners company held the social organisations in high regard, arguing that their participation would benefit the State and members of the public.

That participation would narrow the gaps between laws and their targeted community, enhancing the transparency and accountability of State activities and improving legal efficiency, he said.

The social organisations, in turn, would have the opportunity to improve their policy advocacy capacities, strengthening their network and getting closer to State agencies, Quang added.-VNA