OVERVIEW OF THE INTERNATIONAL INTEGRATION PROCESS

The process of reform, open-door policy and international integration in Viet Nam over the past three decades has brought about great achievements which contributed to heightening the position and enhancing the strength of the country. However, the degree of international integration remains low in many fields while effectiveness of international integration is not high.

I. INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

Viet Nam’s international economic integration was accelerated dynamicaly in various forms with a roadmap towards absorbing rules and standards of the global economy and market. Viet Nam has gradually opened its economy and market by establishing bilateral relations in trade, investment and finance and by participating in multilateral mechanisms in those areas. Up to now, Viet Nam has become member of all major international organizations; accessed, signed or joined talks on 15 free trade agreements (FTA) in total. When it comes to the number of signed FTAs, Viet Nam ranks in the middle among ASEAN countries. In the years to come, the contry will focus on realizing FTAs with such partners like Japan, the European Union, and major regional FTAs like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). Regarding the degree of integration, Viet Nam has integrated more deeply and widely in the ASEAN Economic Community than in any other frameworks.

International economic integration has produced positive effects on national economic development as it helped expand export markets, lure foreign direct investment, improve business environment and competitiveness of the economy, businesses and products, create impetus for developing and perfecting institutions of the socialist-oriented market economy, etc. Simultaneously, it has also helped heighten Viet Nam’s position evidenced by: Equal participation in regional and international mechanisms and forums like the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, and the Word Trade Organization (WTO); gradual contribution to common rules and standards; and empoyment of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism to protect interests of businesses and improve Viet Nam’s position in talks.

However, there remain numerous shortcomings, particularly the effectiveness of integration is still low. Though many international commitments have been signed, domestic innovations, particularly economic institutions and preparations of enterprises-organizations-individuals, took place incommensurately with the level of the commitments; international rules and standards were not fully and effectively utilized in order to safeguard the interests of the State, enterprises and individuals in the process of integration; strategies were not developed to cope with risks and shocks encountered on the path of integration. Information and support policies were not effectively carried out to help businesses grasp opportunities and cope with challenges of international integration. Internal integration and linkages among regions received inadequate attention. The guidelines to “build an independent and self-reliant economy” and “diversify and multi-lateralize international relations” were not thoroughly grasped, dependence on some industries, markets, and foreign-invested sectors increased quickly, etc.

II. POLITIC, DEFENSE AND SECURITY INTEGRATION

In general, politic, defense and security integration has been deployed cautiously in terms of steps and scope in each field. Regarding politic realm, Viet Nam has become member of almost all regional and international organizations; set up diplomatic relations with 185 countries, economic ties with 224 countries and territories, strategic partnership with 15 countries, comprehensive partnership with 10 countries. In defense and security sphere, Viet Nam has enhanced and consolidated relations with 80 countries and many international organizations, gradually improved the effectiveness of cooperation with neighboring countries and powers like China, the US, Russia, India and Japan.

Multi-lateral cooperation has gradually been expanded. Viet Nam has joined actively and responsibly in multi-lateral mechanisms, especially regional ones like the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the Shangri-La Dialogue, the ASEAN Defense Ministerial Meeting (ADMM), the ASEAN Defense Ministerial Meeting Plus (ADMM+), the Meeting of ASEAN Chiefs of Security Agencies (MACOSA), INTERPOL, the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC), ASEANPOL, etc and strengthened defense and security ties on global scale, gradually and effectively participated in the UN-led peacekeeping operations.

Political, defense and security integration has produced positively effects on international economic integration as well as integration in other fields but the degree of integration remains low. Bilaterally, degree of intertwinement of interests - between Viet Nam and partners, including strategic and comprehensive partners - is still low; many cooperation aspects are incommensurate with the cooperation frameworks; there remain gaps between political commitments and implementation; cooperation in some areas have not been truly deepened; cooperation in security, intelligence and police with some countries are still limited. At multi-lateral mechanisms, Viet Nam has gradually participated actively and put forward initiatives, however, its contributions are incommensurate with those of other countries in the region. In addition, we have not fully exploited strengths of integration in these domains as a new way to ensure defense and security in the context of globalization and international integration and to support economic integration and integration in other fields.

III. INTEGRATION IN CULTURE, SOCIETY, ETHNOLOGY, EDUCATION-TRAINING, SCIENCE-TECHNOLOGY AND IN OTHER FIELDS

Integration in culture, labor, social security, healthcare, education and training, science and technology, etc has become increasingly deep and wide, in diverse forms and modes, with various partners and more substances. Bilaterally, Viet Nam has signed a number of agreements based on some common standards like those on conservation and promotion of cultural-art values; international treaties, agreements on labor, natural resources and environment, and improvement of capacity of organizations and individuals working in the fields of healthcare, education, technology, science, etc. Multi-laterally, Viet Nam has made practical contributions to the establishment of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community and acceleration of integration in all fields of the Community. At the same time, Viet Nam has deeply and widely participated in multi-lateral mechanisms and forums at regional and global levels, especially the UN agencies including UNESCO, WHO, ILO, etc.

For further integration in these fields, Viet Nam will focus on applying the regional and global norms and standards in accordance with Viet Nam’s available commitments in order to supplement and improve its policies and laws as well as regulations of each sector; voluntarily employ regional and international norms and standards selectively in designing its own framework of norms and standards for sectors; gradually harmonize Viet Nam’s norms and standards with those of the world.

Integration in culture, society, healthcare, education, training, science and technology, etc has reaped important achievements, facilitated and opened up new cooperation opportunities in these areas. Cultural and social integration has helped enrich the national culture and advance social progress, contributed to improving institutions, accessing international standards and practices, developing labor market and social security system, reducing poverty, and realizing the millennium development goals. Integration in education and training has been increasingly intensified: Viet Nam became members of many international education organizations; many education cooperation models with developed countries have been expanded, especially under the forms of partnership programs and construction of high-quality universities in Viet Nam, or acquirement of advanced programs, etc. In general, integration in education, training, healthcare, science and technology has played an important role in human resource development, especially high-quality workforce and contributed to the development of national science, education and healthcare systems towards narrowing the gap between Viet Nam and other countries in these areas.

Integration in culture, labor, social security, healthcare, education, training, science and technology, etc has generated positive effects on integration in other domains, especially economic domain. However, integration in culture, society, healthcare, education, science and technology is broader compared to economic and political-security-defense integration. The volume of voluntary integration activities - through active application of international norms and standards or harmonization of Viet Nam’s norms and standards with the global ones - are immense. Although the degree of participating in and implementing international commitments and standards increased, the works generally remain limited and incomprehensive; many complicated and sensitive issues have not been timely studied and implemented. Besides, integration in these domains was pushed forward in accordance with the development roadmap of each sector, thus it lacked coordination and led to overlapping and resource wastefulness. In comparison to the regional countries, the quality of Viet Nam’s workforce and education, diploma, scientific and technological products, and services has not been widely recognized internationally; the number of inventions protected abroad, products and services of international trademarks remain modest, etc.

Part II

          INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC BACKGROUNDS

I. INTERNATONAL BACKGROUND

Peace, cooperation and development remain the prevailing trend in international relations. From now to 2030, multi-polar state of affairs may take clearer shape thanks to fast changes in the power of countries. The US still remains the superpower, but China continues moving forward and has an increasingly important voice over many regional and international issues. India and some countries in other regions keep on bettering themselves to become relatively large economies, leading to their stronger influences in the region. The way to a multi-polar order may contain tensions, or conflicts, even among powers.

Asia-Pacific continues its dynamic economic growth and may become a new power center of the world. Peace, stability and development in the region will basically be maintained, however, competition among big countries, arm race, territorial and maritime disputes may be complicated. Regional political-security architecture continues evolving and taking clearer shape. The ASEAN Community will continue beefing up regional connectivity, perserveringly maintaining its central role in multi-lateral mechanisms, and coordinating relations among big countries. However, ASEAN may face more complicated internal challenges as well as challenges due to competition among big countries.

Regional and international economies continue restructuring process, recovery and growth again. The global economy is forecast to expand 3%per year on average from now to 2050 and may double the current size by 2037. Global growth may be buoyed by population expansion, technological advances, free trade and urbanization process. The correlation of economic strength keeps changing. Chinese economy is likely to surpass the US in the next decade despite slowdown forecast. India is likely to emerge as the second biggest economy of the world in terms of purchasing power by 2050. Viet Nam and Nigeria may become the fast-growing economies from now to 2050.

Economic competition becomes increasingly complicated. Big countries compete with each other by accelerating economic connectivity initiatives. Some economies in other regions have strengthened to compete with Asian economies in the future. In the next decade, economies continue to accelerate restructuring, transform growth strategy and model, foster changes in economic and development thoughts. Many new economic forms are taking shape such as network economy, sharing economy, recirculation economy; global value and supply chains are expanding quickly. The process of reforming global economic governance systems such as WTO, WB, IMF is taking place slowly; institutional changes remain modest. In the medium term, WTO, WB, and IMF are still the key economic governance pillars of the world.

Globalization continues its course. Regionalization is taking place vigorously with the Asia-Pacific region as a typical example. The combination of the existing free trade agreements (FTAs) into single ones in order to maximize trade benefits tends to strengthen. From now to 2020, new-generation FTAs, especially TPP, Viet Nam-EU FTA, and RCEP will come into effect. The idea of forming other FTAs like the free trade area of the Asia-Pacific region and the ASEM free trade area may be further pushed forward. Other forms of economic integration include sub-region and cross-border integration. Thanks to the formation of the ASEAN Economic Community, the free movement of capital, workforce, and goods will become real by the end of this decade.

The development of science and technology will continue to reshape the global economy. Science and technology will advance quickly and outstandingly in some domains, especially information technology, manufacturing and automatic technology (including 3-D printing technology); solar energy technology, social-mobile- analysis-cloud (SMAC) technology; biotechnology; genome sequencing technology; e-commerce; development of advanced production systems. Technological advances will contribute to improving productivity but they also pose challenges to the current business models.

International relations are becoming increasingly democratic thanks to changes in the aggregate strengths of countries; multi-lateral mechanisms, international organizations, international law, communication, press, social networks and awareness of people across the world will have increasingly greater role. Small and medium-sized countries have more opportunities to join global issues, especially at the United Nations and regional organizations, and have rising voice in strategic competition among powers.

From now to 2030, the world may continue facing numerous global issues like climate change, environmental pollution, energy-food-water-cyber security, diseases, transnational crime, terrorism, and migration. In addition, the world population keeps on rising and becomes more aging while urbanization is taking place fast and vigorously, especially in developing countries, which pose challenges to job generation, social welfare guarantee, development of social security system, healthcare and education, and human migration. Rising middle class in some emerging economies requires their governments to better satisfy their new requirements.

II. DOMESTIC SITUATION

After 30 years of Rennovation, the aggregate strength and position of Viet Nam in the region and the world have been heightened, creating favorable conditions for fostering international integration in the new stage but great difficulties and challenges still lie ahead.

Although Viet Nam was removed from the list of least developed countries to become a middle income country, its macro-economy, growth quality, competitiveness of the economy, business environment, development gap among regions and between Viet Nam and the world, middle-income trap, etc will still be the key issues in the decade to come.

Political security, and social order and safety situation is basically maintained and stable; the political system continues to be consolidated; the law-governed State continues improvements. However, risks that may cause political and social instability like pressing issues, legal violations, crime, social disorder and unsafety, terrorism, cyber war, information insecurity and unsafety, etc keep rising in the context of increasingly fast globalization and scientific and technological advancement, especially information technology. Territorial security issues, especially East Sea issue, may become more complicated, even sudden happenings, causing negative impacts on national security and stability, and undermining peaceful and favorable environment for the national development.

The process of reform, open-door policy and international integration of Viet Nam over the past three decades brought about remarkable achievements, contributing to enhancing the country’s position and strength, laying foundation to a new stage of comprehensive international integration. However, the degree of international integration remains at low level, mainly in width. The process of deeper integration into the region and the world faces greater challenges such as the risk of vulnerability due to global happenings and fiercer competition, which increases the danger of lagging behind if the targets set by the Party are not achieved.

Part III

          OBJECTIVES AND GUIDING VIEWPOINTS

I.                  OBJECTIVES

1.     General objectives

The overall objectives of international integration through 2030 are to contribute to strengthening the country’s aggregate strength; take full advantage of favorable global conditions to soon turn Viet Nam into a modern-oriented industrialized country, improve people’s living standards; maintain independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, and firmly defend the socialist Fatherland of Viet Nam; heighten the country’s position and prestige in the world.

2.     Specific objectives

- Expand markets, take advantage of capital, technology, management knowledge; improve the competitiveness of the economy, businesses and products; foster the development of domestic industries, establish higher positions in the regional and international production and supply chain; actively make contributions to the process of transforming growth model and restructuring the economy; beef up industrialization and modernization, enhance internal strength, reduce dependence from the outside, and narrow development gap with ASEAN-6 countries. Regarding the degree of international integration, strive to catch up with ASEAN-6 countries by 2020, ASEAN-4 countries by 2025, and to become one of the top ASEAN countries in such areas that Viet Nam has strengths and have a catch-up strategy, including improvement of business environment, by 2030, etc. In the short run, successfully realize the socio-economic development targets that have been figured out.

- Consolidate and maintain peaceful environment conducive to national development; heighten Viet Nam’s position in the international arena and in relations with partners, especially major partners in the areas of defense, security and development; make more effective contributions to the protection of sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity; firmly maintain political security, social order and safety, protect the regime, the Party and people; fruitfully exploit external resources in order to gradually modernize armed forces, strengthen the capacity of ensuring national security and defense. By 2030, Viet Nam strives to become one of the key members that play central role at security and defense cooperation mechanisms in the region; enhance the bonds of security and stability between Viet Nam and the region.

- Actively contribute to the development of Vietnamese people to meet the requirements of the process of industrialization, modernization and international integration. To absorb the world’s culture values; preserve, promote and diffuse Vietnamese culture values; improve the image and people of  Viet Nam so that by 2030 the image of the nation would become popular around the world and Viet Nam’s new contributions to the global culture would be recognized; take full advantage of foreign resources to successfully realize strategic targets on labor, social security, education, training, healthcare, science and technology; attach special importance to improving workforce quality and science-technology capacity; create jobs and ensure rights of laborers and vulnerable groups; push social justice, guarantee social security and improve’s material and spiritual life of people.

II. GUIDING VIEWPOINTS

Fully grasp and creatively employ the guiding viewpoints enshrined in the Resolution No. 22 of the Political Bureau on international integration, the Overall Strategy for international integration through 2030 needs be deployed in accordance with following viewpoints:

1. Proactive and active international integration is the major strategic orientation in the implementation of strategies for socio-economic development and sectoral development. The Overall Strategy for international integration needs to be incorporated into the strategies on socio-economic development and sectoral development. Effectively exploit international integration to contribute to national construction and socialist Fatherland of Viet Nam.

2. Enhance the Party leadership and State management over the process of implementing the Overall Strategy for international integration. Uphold democracy, facilitate all organizations and individuals to actively and creatively engage in the integration process; effectively exploit potentials of the society, social strata, including overseas Vietnamese communities.

3. The orientations of the Overall Strategy for international integration must be deployed in parallel with the process of developing and bringing into full play internal strength; closely combine and accelerate the process of enhancing aggregate strength, national competitiveness, and capacity of sectors and enterprises, connectivity among regions, renovation (especially growth model transformation and economic restructuring); speed up reform in all areas in order to raise the efficiency of international integration.

4. Comprehensively deploy the Overall Strategy for international integration in all areas towards deepening this process to better support national development and Fatherland protection. Economic integration is the focal point; focus on improving business environment and institutional system; attach special importance to implementing the signed international commitments. Intensify combination of economic integration with integration in politics, defense, security and other fields.

5. International integration is the process of both cooperation and struggle, consistent pursuit of national interests, preservation and promotion of the identity of the national culture and political regime; it is not the process of amassing alliances against the others.

6. Consistently pursue the policy of “independence, self-reliance; diversification and multi-lateralization of international relations”; deeper international integration must go together with enhancing independence and self-reliance as well as inter-dependence between Viet Nam and partners, especially the partners that are important for the development and protection of the Fatherland; avoid dependence in any domain or circumstance.

Part IV

ORIENTATIONS AND SOLUTIONS TO INTEGRATION

I. ECONOMIC INTEGRATION

Until 2030, the degree of economic integration is equal to the average level of ASEAN-4 countries; international integration will be accelerated in parallel with the process of enhancing linkages among sectors and regions; focus on implementing effectively inked agreements, especially the new-generation FTAs. Accordingly, the following orientations need to be deployed comprehensively:

1. Speed up institutional improvement, administrative reform; continue the implementation of the Resolution of the 4^th Plenum of the 10^th Party Central Committee on some major guidelines and policies for fast and sustainable economic development following Viet Nam’s accession to the World Trade Organization in the new context in association with the implementation of socio-economic development tasks defined in the Resolutions of the 11^th and 12^th National Party Congress.

- Review, systemize, amend, supplement and replace legal documents or issue new legal documents to perfect the legal system and economic institutions in accordance with international commitments; quickly and comprehensively establish elements of the socialist-oriented market economy; ensure the operation of the economy in accordance with market rules. Comprehensively develop, smoothly and effectively operate different types of markets, including goods market, service market, finance market, real estate market, labor market, science-technology market to support international economic integration.

- Beef up administrative reform, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the State apparatus: Streamline administrative procedures and process of handling administrative procedures, review and quickly abolish outdated procedures; accelerate the development of e-government and public service centers in order to build an open, transparent and stable business environment; reduce time required for State agencies’ decision-making process; make public all policies, management mechanisms, procedures; prevent failure to perform public duties as prescribed by law, combat harassments, and create favorable conditions for business and citizens to supervise the implementation process.

- Improve the competitiveness of the national economy, enterprises, and products; strive to develop trade marks of international prestige; mobilize and improve the effectiveness of resources to speed up the development of energy, information and transport infrastructure; pursue sustainable urban development; develop and use human resource effectively; improve competitiveness of enterprises, including State-owned, private and foreign-invested ones. Apply international supervision norms in these fields; develop and deploy a catch-up roadmap to attain the average level of ASEAN-6 and ASEAN-4 countries in terms of these norms.

- Well handle environmental issues in the socio-economic development course; improve and raise the efficiency of the legal system on natural resources and environment; continue proper application of international regulations on environmental standards in Viet Nam; speed up the engagement of the society in environmental protection, enhance dissemination of information and laws on natural resources and environment.

2. Keep on improving business environment to attract foreign investment, combine investment attraction with supervision of the implementation process to ensure economic security and socio-economic and environmental effectiveness. Accelerate the restructuring process of public investment, encourage private investment and public-private partnership. Improve the effectiveness of investment capital; strictly manage public debt, including foreign debt.

- Improve the socio-economic-environmental efficiency of foreign investment to support economic restructuring, growth model transformation, and improvement of efficiency and competitiveness of the economy; develop auxiliary industries and heighten Viet Nam’s position in global production network and value chain.

- Develop and deploy the strategy to lure foreign investment through 2030, especially high-quality foreign direct investment; comprehensively implement measures to attract multinational groups to Viet Nam; review and consolidate the legal and supervision systems in accordance with international standards in order to protect interests of investors, especially minority investors.

- Increase the attractiveness of business environment to the average level of ASEAN-6 countries. Continue simplification of business startup procedures; enhance the efficiency of protecting rights and interests of investors; speed up information technology application in local-level governance to create open and transparent business environment, etc, strive to catch up and surpass ASEAN-4 countries in some of business environment indexes.

- Deploy public investment restructuring plans; raise the leading role of public investment in socio-economic development while encouraging and creating favorable conditions for private investment. Improve legal background to make private investment truly a key driving force for development investment.

- Improve effectiveness of using investment capital, apply set of norms and methods to evaluate the effectiveness of capital use in accordance with international standards; develop a roadmap to raise the efficiency of investment capital to narrow gap towards surpassing the average level of ASEAN-4 countries. Strictly mange public debt, especially new loans, and maintain national financial safety.

- Create equal competition environment, allocate resources properly to capable subjects. The objective of the period 2016-2030 is to make domestic products prevail in the local market while raising market share abroad, especially for high value-added sectors, services and to attain higher positions in the regional and global supply-value chain.

3. Increase connectivity among provinces, regions; uphold strengths of each locality; encourage and create favorable conditions for localities to actively integrate into global community. Enhance the degree of connectivity among sectors.

- Ensure the design and implementation of development strategies, planning schemes, and plans of localities, regions; particularly, national infrastructure development and urban development must be in line with general strategies towards raising the level of connectivity with surrounding localities, major centers of regions.

- Create mechanisms and policies to help localities promote their relative strengths in correlation with others inside and outside the country, including the attraction of domestic and foreign resources.

- Provide guidelines, encourage and create favorable conditions for localities to actively join international integration to realize their socio-economic development tasks; accelerate cross-border cooperation.

- Speed up inter-sector linkages to improve Viet Nam’s position in specific area, for example linkages among stakeholders in farming; support businesses to join sectoral linkages; improve structural organization and operation mechanisms of business associations, promote the linking role between enterprises and State management agencies; support enterprises in market development, information, workforce training; represent and provide support for businesses in trade dispute settlement.

4. Effectively implement international economic commitments. Develop and implement a strategy to join free trade areas with major economic-trade partners with a proper roadmap. Proactively and actively engage in forming common rules.

- Speed up codification of international commitments; comply with implementation roadmap, fully satisfy content and degree of commitments on the basis of optimizing interests of the country, organizations and individuals.

- Improve the effectiveness of implementing codified commitments; focus on disseminating information, unifying awareness, issuing guidelines for implementation, inspection, and supervision.

- Speed up and improve the effectiveness of economic cooperation with partners, especially major partners that are important to national security and development; increase interdependence levels; strictly follow the guideline of multi-lateralization and diversification in economic relations.

- Step up multi-lateral trade system within free trade agreements. Continue full implementation of commitments to the World Trade Organization and active participation in the Doha talks round as well as next multi-lateral talks rounds;

- Sign and deploy free trade agreements towards full exploitation of opportunities and interests and mitigation of negative impacts of such agreements like TPP, RCEP, and agreements with Japan, the Republic of Korea, the European Union, and the Eurasia Economic Union.

- Enhance economic integration within in ASEAN; review, assess and deploy measures to increase adaptability of Viet Nam’s law in the process of participating the ASEAN Community; promote the central role of ASEAN in the regional economic integration process, link multi-lateral and bilateral frameworks to maximize benefits to the economy; enhance businesses’ understanding and awareness of the opportunities brought by the ASEAN Economic Community and deal with challenges.

- Proactively and actively improve the effectiveness of participation and enhance contributions to cooperation mechanisms within the frameworks of APEC, ASEM, the Greater Mekong Sub-region, the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS), the Mekong River Commission (MRC); actively design proper responses to newly-emerged initiatives.

- Review signed free trade agreements to evaluate the effectiveness of integration; design and deploy a strategy on free trade agreement negotiations with new partners, which takes into account of the two-way trade, market potentials, capital capacity, science and technology capacity, politic relations and other proper criteria. From now to 2020, mull over the talks on formation of free trade areas with potential partners in different regions.

- Apart from improving the effectiveness of international integration through 2030, select key regions and markets for cooperation expansion; reduce dependence on some highly risky markets; develop a roadmap on participation in economic organizations in the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, create opportunities to enhance firmer niches in potential markets in the regions, including the Gulf Cooperation Council, the South Africa Customs Unions, the Common Market of the South (MERCOSUR), and Pacific Alliance.

-  Proactively and actively participate in adjusting and building rules and laws at the organizations and forums to which Viet Nam is a member, especially the World Trade Organization.

5. Protect legitimate interests of the Vietnamese State, businesses and consumers in economic, trade and investment disputes.

- Develop and implement preventive trade measures to protect legitimate rights and interests of domestic businesses; make the best of international regulations on geographical indications, origins, copyright and trademark registration to protect Vietnamese businesses and products; strategies on joining cooperation organizations and mechanisms must be designed and implemented in accordance with real capacity and conditions of businesses.

- Improve structural organizations, and operation mechanisms and improve the capacity of the authorities in charge of competition management, anti-subsidy, anti-dumping, and international trade dispute settlement.

- Regularly review and assess international commitments on investment as well as policies applicable to foreign investors in order to put forward measures to prevent and reduce international trade disputes.

- Reform public duty and civil servant regime in the face of international integration to contribute to the development of workforce capable of international economic integration; give priority to training staffs in charge of trade negotiations; produce contingent of lawyers knowledgeable about international law, good at foreign languages, and capable of participating in international proceedings; train the line-up of consultants, accountants, auditors, corporate managers of international levels.

- Promote the role of representative agencies, trade offices, and trade promotion centers abroad in supporting the protection of Vietnamese businesses’ rights and interests in trade dispute cases; provide information regarding new technical barriers of partners against Vietnamese exports, especially key commodities.

6. Deploy activities regarding financial-monetary integration in accordance with requirements and development level of the country, contributing to the mobilization of financial resources and consolidation of domestic financial-monetary system which is strong enough to counter external impacts.

- Proactively and actively pursue economic integration in the banking sector under a roadmap with proper steps in line with the capacity of the Vietnamese banking system, focus on improving competitiveness of credit organizations and management and control capacity of the State Bank of Viet Nam; create favorable conditions for credit organizations to expand operations abroad through bilateral and multi-lateral cooperation exchanges.

- Speed up the exploitation and use of resources under the forms of technical and financial assistance, policy consultation, training assistance provided by bilateral and multi-lateral partners in order to improve the quality of the workforce, technical and technological infrastructure of the banking-finance sector.

- Continue the establishment and consolidation of bilateral dialogue mechanisms on banking and finance between Viet Nam and strategic partners and other major ones; proactively and actively participate in activities aimed at enhancing the voice and position of Viet Nam at regional and international economic, finance-monetary institutions like IMF, WB, ADB, AIIB, IOSCO as well as at regional and international forums on monetary, finance, banking, securities, insurance domains within ASEAN, ASEAN+3, and APEC; actively grasp opportunities and join new financial institutions in accordance with our interests.

- Accelerate the application of new standards on finance-banking supervision; actively participate in the mechanisms in charge of building international finance rules and regulations, especially the Bank for International Settlements; mull over the participation in macroeconomic warning mechanisms, financial-banking cooperation and policy coordination forums, capital market cooperation mechanisms; focus on implementing the signed integration commitments related to tax, financial services, and other relevant fields; further expand financial integration in priority areas, gradually access to the common standards and international practices.

II. POLITICAL, DEFENSE AND SECURITY INTEGRATION

1. Further accelerate and deepen relations with partners, especially partners having strategic importance to national development and security; deepen the established relation frameworks in a practical manner, create bonds of interests between Viet Nam and partners.

- Improve the bonds of interests between Viet Nam and partners, especially strategic partners, comprehensive partners; increase interdependence in all aspects, including defense and security.

- Regularly review the operation of cooperation mechanisms; improve the effectiveness of the existing cooperation mechanisms between Viet Nam and partners to accelerate relations, prevent and address emerging issues. Establish new cooperation mechanisms to meet the development requirements of the relations. Strive to have mechanisms strong enough to deal with emerging issues, especially in the field of defense and security, by 2030.

- Build and improve trust between Viet Nam and partners, firstly neighboring countries, big countries. Enhance policy and strategic dialogue mechanisms; strengthen information exchanges; proactively make public policies and mechanisms for deployment of policies to avoid misunderstanding. Fully implement our country’s commitments reached between Viet Nam and partners.

- Diversify types of strategic partnership and comprehensive partnership. Regularly review the relations between Viet Nam and partners. Upgrade relations to strategic level, and comprehensive level between Viet Nam and potential and key partners in different regions.

- Effectively exploit relations with all partners, especially strategic partners and comprehensive partners in service of national development and protection of the socialist Fatherland.

2. Speed up and improve multi-lateral diplomacy; proactively and actively participate in multi-lateral institutions to contribute to shaping rules and buiding a political and economic order which is equal, democratic, war-freed, conflict-free, as well as consolidation of peace and acceleration of cooperation for mutual benefits.

- Develop and deploy a strategy to participate in multi-lateral institutions through 2030; a strategy to beef up and improve the effectiveness of multi-lateral diplomacy through 2030. Promote Viet Nam’s role in the organizations, forums and mechanisms to which Viet Nam is a member. Proactively and actively participate in building rules, regulations, and new cooperation mechanisms.

- Proactively and actively use ASEAN-led forums and mechanisms to create favorable conditions for partners to participate in and make contributions to the maintenance of peace, stability, security and safety of navigation and aviation in the East Sea (DOC), formation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC); coordinate measures for trust building and preventive diplomacy in the region.

- Attach special attention to building the ASEAN Community, deploying the ASEAN Community Vision 2025; promote Viet Nam’s role in establishing rules and regulations in ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms and forums in order to enhance solidarity, intra-ASEAN connectivity and consolidate cooperation with dialogue partners of ASEAN, push the trend of peace, cooperation and development in the region. Improve the effectiveness of ASEAN-led cooperation mechanisms, especially East Asia Summit, ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus, and ASEAN Regional Forum.

- Fully implement commitments to international institutions; develop and deploy a plan to run for a seat at multi-lateral mechanisms within the United Nations through 2030; selectively participate in multi-lateral functional and professional mechanisms in charge of coping with global security and development issues.

- Proactively accelerate the signing of international conventions and agreements; participate in international organizations, including those in charge of international dispute settlement; proactively develop model international cooperation agreements in various fields in order to enhance activeness in the process of signing, accessing to relevant international treaties and agreements.

- Implement a scheme to appoint Vietnamese representatives in international organizations. Proactively prepare nominees for election to governing bodies of international organizations, firstly United Nations agencies. By 2030, it is expected that Vietnamese people will work at several agencies of international organizations.

3. Deploy a strategy on defense and security integration in accordance with the new thought of the Fatherland and national security protection, effectively exploit external resources and the country’s position in support of firm protection of the socialist Fatherland; at the same time, create favorable conditions for international integration in economic and other areas.

- Speed up bilateral cooperation activities in defense and security with neighboring countries, ASEAN countries, big countries, traditional friends; gradually deepen defense and security cooperation in an effective manner.

- Accelerate defense and security cooperation with neighboring countries; step by step improve bond of interests in terms of defense and security towards strengthening awareness and cooperation on issues of common concern; expand exchanges and cooperation between military zones in border areas, naval forces, border guard, maritime police and the correlative forces of neighboring countries, thus enhancing joint patrol mechanisms, establishing hot lines, conducting joint exercises to prevent conflicts and strengthen the capacity to cope with emerging threats in the region.

- Consolidate and vigorously renovate the contents and forms of defense and security cooperation with Laos and Cambodia; increase the level of defense and security interdependence; ceaselessly increase the effectiveness of strategic, defense-security policy dialogues, and exchange experience of organizing and developing military forces and of military art; effectively deploy agreements on defense and security cooperation; satisfy the requirements of training, cultivation and capacity improvement for Cambodian and Lao staffs working in the field of defense and security to the fullest level.

- Develop and deploy a roadmap to enhance and upgrade defense and security relations with partners, firstly strategic and comprehensive partners to satisfy the requirements of national security protection and facilitate international integration in economic and other fields. Deploy seriously and consistently the agreements and programs on defense and security cooperation with big countries like Russia, India, Japan, and some other potential partners like Australia and Israel. Gradually expand the content of defense and security cooperation, increase ground activities, including joint patrol activities, joint exercises within ASEAN, working towards joint exercises between ASEAN and partners.

4. Proactively prevent, detect and paralyze all hostile forces’ plots and activities aimed at encroaching the country’s security and order.

- Enhance the capacity of situation research, supervision and evaluation, early detect and take plans to cope with hostile forces’ plots and activities aimed at encroaching on national security.

- Regularly consolidate and strictly implement regulations on secrecy protection; take measures to deal with new trickeries that may be used by hostile forces to undermine Viet Nam’s process of increasingly deep and wide integration into the region and the world.

- Enhance the capacity of relevant functional agencies, improve the effectiveness of inter-sector coordination mechanisms for early detection and effective response to plots and trickeries carried out by internal and external hostile forces.

- Effectively take full advantage of international regulations and laws, and cooperation mechanisms to protect the national security. Speed up relations with foreign security, intelligence and polices agencies, firstly neighboring countries and big countries; proactively and actively participate in cooperation mechanisms against trans-national crime, cyber and maritime security threats, and other non-traditional security threats.

5. Proactively and actively participate in multi-lateral mechanisms on defense and security that Viet Nam is a member to, firstly the mechanisms within or led by ASEAN.

- Proactively and actively beef up defense and security cooperation activities within the ASEAN Defense Ministerial Meeting and the ASEAN Defense Ministerial Meeting Plus; upgrade other defense and security forums and conferences; strengthen information exchanges, put forth coordination initiatives at other conferences like the ASEAN Chief of Multilateral Meeting (ACAMM), the ASEAN Navy Chiefs Meeting (ANCM), and the ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference (AACC); continue to attach special importance to strengthening the capacity of air forces, towards participating in joint patrols in the East Sea, search and rescue work in the region; participate in joint exercises within ASEAN, and then between ASEAN and partners; mull over the participation in peace and security-keeping operations in the region, giving priority to less sensitive issues.

- Proactively and actively participate in multi-lateral cooperation mechanisms on trans-national crime combat and non-traditional security threat response; promote the role and responsibility at multi-lateral mechanisms like the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime, ASEAN Police, INTERPOL, forum on defense cooperation and trans-national crime combat among ASEAN countries, and meeting of chiefs of ASEAN Security Agencies.

- Accelerate the implementation of initiatives, programs and projects of ASEAN; continue integration of programs, activities and priority fields (enshrined in the ASEAN Politic-Security Community Blueprint and post-2015 ASEAN political-security documents)  into national-level development programs and plans, including such issues like human rights protection, maritime non-traditional security, search and rescue at sea.

6. Develop and deploy a plan to join other multi-lateral mechanisms, including deeper participation in: UN peace-keeping operations, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, joint exercises, and other activities to meet the requirements of the Fatherland protection and contribute to deepening relations between Viet Nam and partners in sustainable and stable manner.

- Develop and deploy a plan to join other multi-lateral defense and security mechanisms. Make active contributions to the formation of security architecture in East Asia and Asia-Pacific.

- Develop and deploy a plan to participate in the United Nations peace-keeping forces through 2030 in the direction of gradually expanding to other fields and scope with specified targets in each period and make full use of the positive effects from joining peace-keeping operations to support national defense and security and heighten the country’s position in the region and the world.

- Develop and deploy a plan to participate in ground defense and security cooperation activities such as rescue, joint patrols, joint exercises; by 2030, participate in all activities joined by other ASEAN countries.

III. INTEGRATION IN CULTURE, ETHNOLOGY, EDUCATION-TRAINING, SCIENCE-TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER AREAS

1. Combine international integration activities in the process of forming and deploying a strategy for cultural, labor, social, healthcare, education-training, scientific and technological development and others.

- Attach importance to international integration activities in all steps from planning to implementation of strategies and plans; synchronously apply regional and international criteria and standards in all fields, firstly in education-training, healthcare, labor, social security, science-technology, measurement, quality, and intellectual property, etc.

- Apply the regional and international common evaluation approaches, standards and norms in designing and implementing different social development strategies. Apply regional standards (for examples, standards of the ASEAN Cultural-Social Community) and international standards (for example, standards of the International Labor Organization) in designing policies and programs on labor, employment and social security system development; continue regarding the ASEAN Cultural-Social Community Blueprint and post-2015ASEAN cultural-social documents as the reference sets to develop programs, policies and strategies at national, ministerial levels; integrate targets, viewpoints and actions and implementation measures into the aforesaid programs, projects, policies, and strategies.

- Actively participate in education quality control activities in accordance with the standard set of the ASEAN University Network (AUN); the Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN), and the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE); regularly participate in the international assessment of higher education quality.

- Increase the rate of harmonization of Vietnamese Standards System, national technical standards with those of the region and the world through participation in and cooperation with international standard-measurement-quality organizations like the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electro-technical Commission (IEC), and the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML); review the national standards, technical standards and the process for evaluating the compatibility of domestic legal documents with international treaties and agreements on standard-measurement-quality to which Viet Nam is signatory for proper amendments; perfect infrastructure system for these domains to facilitate Viet Nam’s trade.

- Develop and apply quality management standards suitable for Vietnamese hospitals, gradually apply regional and international standards in medical checks, treatment and drug production. Perfect the system of healthcare statistics indicators comparable to international indicators, effectively implement international commitments in healthcare. Ensure drug production businesses to meet the good manufacturing practice (GMP) of the World Health Organization; drug testing units to meet the good laboratory practice (GLP) of the World Health Organization, large-scale drug import and distribution businesses to meet the good storage practice (GSP).

2. Speed up bilateral cooperation in culture, labor, society, healthcare, education-training, science and technology and others.

- Enhance bilateral cooperation through negotiating and signing international agreements to lay foundation to cultural exchanges and cooperation; proactively mobilize sponsored sources for the realization of the strategic objectives and tasks in labor and social fields in the period 2016-2020 and towards 2030; enhance international cooperation to increase funding and experience in designing and deploying social security policies.

- Develop and deploy national plans for science and technology cooperation between Viet Nam and strategic partners; lure foreign experts and scientists and overseas Vietnamese to join programs and projects on research and staff training; deploy the program on bilateral and multilateral science and technology cooperation and the program on seeking and transferring technologies from abroad; sign new agreements and memorandums of understanding on bilateral cooperation in intellectual property, atomic energy, business start-up, science and technology business development, innovation and commercialization of technologies, etc with major partners like the US, China, Japan, France, and the Republic of Korea.

- Speed up training partnership with foreign education establishments having quality tested for transfer of curriculums, teaching and learning methods; create favorable for education cooperation and exchanges through signing agreements on mutual recognition of diploma, mutual credit transfer and mutual professional skills recognition between Viet Nam and other countries.

- Accelerate professional and technical cooperation, high-quality training, expert exchanges, technology transfer, specialized health research and development through signing bilateral agreements with major partners; enhance joint ventures and partnership with foreign partners in drug, vaccine, high-tech medical equipment manufacturing; develop information network with some countries and relevant international organizations in order to access, exchange, transfer and apply global medical advances.

- Regularly consolidate bilateral agreements on legal assistance signed with countries and territories; enhance international cooperation in legal assistance and protection of overseas Vietnamese.

3. Speed up multilateral cooperation in culture, labor, society, healthcare, education-training, science and technology and other fields, firstly in the building of the ASEAN Cultural-Social Community, focus on human resource development, especially high-quality workforce.

- Proactively and actively deploy the building of the ASEAN Cultural-Social Community, contribute to enhancing the effectiveness and sustainability of the Community.

- Beef up culture integration at global level, give priority to activities and projects within UNESCO; participate in some relevant United Nations organizations, especially the International Labor Organization, focusing on labor and employment areas; enhance and promote the role at multilateral institutions on social security to which Viet Nam is a member like the ASEAN Social Security Association, the Asian Workers’ Compensation Forum, and the International Social Security Association, etc.

- Enhance international integration activities in education and training within the frameworks of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organizations (SEAMEO), the Asia-Europe Meeting of Ministers of Education (ASEMME).

- Actively and effectively participate in multilateral activities on science and technology in ASEAN, the Policy Partnership on Science, Technology, and Innovation (PPSTI), ESCAP, ASEM, etc, participate in agreements on mutual recognition of measurement standards within ASEAN, APEC, ASEM and activities of international standardization organizations to which Viet Nam is a member like ISO, IEC, CODEX; cooperate with national accreditation bodies of ASEAN countries in regional and international evaluation programs in order to raise the capacity of Viet Nam’s accreditation system.

- Review and evaluate the ASEAN Action Plan on intellectual property for the period 2011-2015; build the ASEAN Action Plan on intellectual property for the period 2016-2020 and the following years.

- Proactively and actively participate in global institutions on healthcare governance, healthcare security and humanitarian assistance; develop and deploy a strategy to assist Vietnamese to work at regional and international health organizations; make contributions to the formation of global strategies and policies at international forums and organizations to which Viet Nam is a member.

- Develop and deploy a plan to join international multi-lateral institutions and treaties on justice, and international dispute settlement institutions.

4. Take full advantage of international cooperation and assistance, absorb knowledge, especially management, science and technology knowledge.

- Exploit foreign financial, technical and human resources to support the estabishment and deployment of policies, national programs and projects in the culture, social, healthcare, education and training, science and technology fields, etc.

- Commercialize technological research and development outcomes through science and technology exhibitions and forums; establish ASEAN+3 technology transfer center and APEC technology transfer center in Viet Nam.

- Exploit foreign science and technology resources to speed up technology innovation, especially high-technologies in order to raise the competitiveness of some national products; form mechanisms to encourage international organizations, foreign individuals and Vietnamese nationals abroad to participate in technology training, research, application and transfer at domestic education and training establishments; dispatch Vietnamese lecturers to teach and carry out research abroad; encourage foreign organizations and individuals, international organizations and Vietnamese residing abroad to invest in or sponsor science and technology research, application and transfer and development of education and vocational training establishments in Viet Nam; build excellent science research centers on the basis of long-term cooperation between Vietnamese and foreign science research organizations.

5. Enhance the popularization of the country’s image and people to the wider world. Proactively and actively introduce, participate in improving the quality and achievements in cultural, art and sport activities in the region and the world.

- Develop and deploy a plan to popularize the country’s image and people through 2030, focus on constructing some cultural centers in some major places in the world, enhancing Viet Nam’s engagement in major international cultural and art events.

- Organize the implementation of foreign information services to introduce Viet Nam’s orientations to mobilize countries, organizations and individuals to support and facilitate Viet Nam’s efforts in achieving national development targets and protection of independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

- Deploy programs and plans to improve the quality and achievements in cultural, art and sport activities, giving priority to fields and games of comparative advantages; speed up international integration in these fields.

6. Implement commitments and make contributions to the amendment, perfection and development of new standards and initiatives of international organizations to which Viet Nam is member, firstly at United Nations organizations.

- Develop a plan for effective implementation of the United Nations Agenda 2030 on sustainable development.

- Fully codify commitments to the ILO-led conventions that have been ratified by Viet Nam; develop and deploy a plan to participate in some more ILO-led conventions in accordance with the country’s integration process; actively participate in the formation and amendment of international labor standards; effectively deploy international conventions on rights of specific groups like the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children, the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, and the Convention on rights of  persons with disabilities; mull over the ratification of the Convention on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and member of their families.

- Effectively handle social issues which arise during the process of realizing international commitments; develop and operate effectively the social security system; reform labor policies to faciliate the movement of labors among different economic sectors, localities, and businesses according to market rules, develop labor market; improve laws and policies on labor relations; speed up poverty reduction and prevent people from falling back into poverty; mull over mechanisms and policies to help the poor to gradually participate in and benefit from the integration process.

- Deploy international commitments to intellectual property enshrined in the newly-signed free trade agreements; mull over the participation in some international conventions on intellectual property such as the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs; join the Protocol amending the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement.

- Continue effective deployment of healthcare commitments under multi-lateral agreements of such mechanisms like ASEAN, ASEAN Plus 3, WHO, the International Health Partnership (IHP); the United Nations and some of the relevant organizations.

7. Proactively participate in environmental cooperation mechanisms, make contributions to the common efforts in sustainable management and use of resources and environment; prevention of natural disasters and climate change adaptation, environmental-forest-water resource, fauna, flora protection in our country and in the world.

- Continue expansion of bilateral and multi-lateral cooperation in: Climate change adaptation and implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change; cooperate in preventing and controlling environmental pollution and trans-national pollution, preserve the nature and biodiversity; sustainably exploit, use and develop transnational water sources.

- Speed up international integration activities regarding natural resources and environment within the International Mekong Commission and the expanded Mekong Sub-region cooperation program on water resource management, exploitation and protection.

- Organize effective implementation of the international treaties to which Viet Nam is a signatory; international cooperation agreements, memorandums of understanding signed between Viet Nam and partners regarding natural resources and environment; cooperate in establishment of new international agreements on natural resources and environment cooperation.

- Enhance cooperation with international organizations like the United Nations Development Program, the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, the Global Environment Fund, the Global Climate Fund, governmental and non-governmental organizations to take full advantage of sponsored resources for the implementation of projects on natural resources and environment, climate change adaptation, protection of natural resources and environment, water resources, and other types of resources.

- Enhance the participation in policy dialogue forums, especially focusing on the sustainable exploitation and use of water resources, forest resources, environmental protection and climate change adaption; proactively and creatively put forward initiatives for international integration in natural resources and environment area.

- Attach importance to environmental issues during negotiation processes of bilateral and multi-lateral free trade agreements; accelerate the implementation of environmental commitments, especially within the World Trade Organization and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

- Review and supplement legal system, mechanisms and policies in line with international laws, agreements and treaties on climate change to which Viet Nam is a signatory; mull over the development of a Law on Climate Change based on the real conditions of the country and international law; enhance outbound information on climate change.

- Incorporate the tasks of climate change adaptation and environment protection into strategies, planning schemes and socio-economic development plans; regard greenhouse gas emission as criteria of socio-economic development strategies and activities, work towards low-carbon economy resilient to climate change.

8. Enhance and improve the effectiveness of ideological, cultural, information, and communication work; effectively mitigate negative impacts on society, culture, ideology, morals and lifestyle.

- Speed up information and communication work on international integration in order to raise the awareness of people and businesses for the Party’s major guidelines and policies on socio-economic development and international integration.

- Develop a master plan on information and communication; speed up coordination among agencies in charge of international integration as well as localities in order to exchange information; enhance and diversify ways of information supply.

- Information must reflect the situation of international integration in a practical, updated, rich, timely manner, in accordance with demand of each subject; information and communication must closely follow the guidelines of the Party and State as well as the strategies and action plans relevant to sectoral integration; focus on economic integration like Viet Nam’s commitments, responsibilities, obligations, rights and interests under free trade areas; provide information on international law related to international integration.

- Organize foreign information services in a more professional, practical, timely, and flexible manner with rich contents, towards more subjects and locations in order to effectively popularize the country’s image, culture, history and people; prevent acts of misusing public information to undermine production and cause damages to businesses, to the economy and to socio-political stability.

Part V

IMPLEMENTATION ORGANIZATION

I. STAGES FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGY

1. Stage 1 (2015-2020): Comprehensively deploy the orientations, develop and implement sectoral strategies and plans.

2. Stage 2: Evaluate the outcomes of the first stage by the end of 2020 and propose adjustments to the objectives, viewpoints, solutions and orientations for international integration for the 2021-2025, and 2026-2030.

II. IMPLEMENTAITON ASSIGNMENT

1. National Steering Committee for international integration

- Assist the Government, the Prime Minister in directing, supervising and speeding up ministries, ministerial-level agencies, Government bodies, People’s Committee of provinces and centrally-governed cities to comprehensively deploy orientations figured out in the Strategy and handle key and inter-sector issues emerging during the implementation of the Strategy.

- Assist the Government, the Prime Minister in mapping out major orientations, plans and solutions; propose central tasks of international integration for each stage.

- Summarize and submit periodical reports on the implementation of the Strategy to the Politburo, the CPV Central Committee's Secretariat, the Government and the Prime Minister.

2. Inter-agency Steering Committee for international integration

- Assist leaders of relevant ministries and agencies in directing, supervising and speeding up the realization of the Strategy; support localities to establish planning schemes and projects on international integration; supervise and assess the implementation of objectives and tasks of the Strategy and handle key issues emerging during the implementation of the Strategy.

- Assist leaders of ministries and agencies in comprehensive deployment of the orientations of the Strategy; work out major orientations and solutions and put forwards central tasks on international integration for each stage.

- Summarize and submit periodical reports on the implementation of the Strategy to the Government, the Prime Minister, and the National Steering Committee.

3. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies and Government bodies

- The Government Office: Incorporate the implementation and evaluation of the Strategy into the working program of the Government.

- Ministries, ministerial-level agencies and Government bodies, based on their assigned functions and tasks, translate the Strategy into sectoral plans and projects; submit annual reports to the Inter-agency Steering Committee to synthesize and report to the National Steering Committee.

4. People’s Committee of provinces and centrally-governed cities

Fully grasp the spirit of the Strategy and disseminate it to local units and businesses; develop planning schemes and projects and action programs to deploy international integration in their management areas; integrate the objectives, viewpoints and orientations of the Strategy into the planning schemes, programs and projects on international integration of their own localities; incorporate the Strategy into local-level socio-economic development plans; submit periodic reports on the implementation of the Strategy to the Government, the Prime Minister, the National Steering Committee.