Environmental pollution is exacerbated by discharge activities.

Enhance knowledge and skills in environmental protection.

Sustainable national development has always been closely linked to and goes hand in hand with environmental protection; this is one of the fundamental principles clearly affirmed in the policies of the Vietnamese Party and State. 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.

Interviewer: Mr. Chairman, environmental issues, especially in large cities like Hanoi , Ho Chi Minh City, and industrial zones, are a "hot" topic that always receives attention from all levels and sectors. Could you please share your thoughts on the current state of the environment in our country?

Chairman Nguyen Van Quyen: It is evident that environmental pollution in our country and around the world is at an alarming level and has become a pressing issue. The world's population is growing and increasing, leading to higher demands for activities, but awareness is not improving, causing negative impacts on the environment.

Domestically, in recent years, given the scale of the economy , population, level of industrialization, urbanization, and international economic integration, environmental issues have become urgent, complex, and sensitive, directly and multifacetedly impacting the socio-economic life of the country.

Throughout the country, numerous industrial zones have been built to meet the demands of industrialization and modernization. However, some industrial zones have not received adequate investment in industrial waste treatment, resulting in worsening environmental pollution due to wastewater discharge.

Furthermore, the application of scientific and technological advancements in agricultural production has not been strictly controlled. The spraying of large quantities of chemicals on crops not only affects the health of consumers but also pollutes the soil environment as a large amount of pesticides is not fully absorbed by the plants.

Household waste, industrial waste, medical waste, agricultural waste, and construction waste are also pressing issues receiving much attention.

Dr. Nguyen Van Quyen – President of the Vietnam Lawyers Association.

Interviewer: As the Chairman noted, environmental issues and pollution are very pressing problems. So, in recent years, what methods has the Vietnam Lawyers Association used to raise environmental awareness among its members and officials?

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 guiding principle in the Association's activities. Directive 14 further affirms the Association's nature as a political, social, and professional organization.

With that role and its organizational system in 63 provinces and cities from the central to the grassroots level, the Vietnam Lawyers Association wishes to contribute its efforts to bringing the Party and State's policies and laws on environmental protection into practice. Therefore, on October 5, 2018, the Vietnam Lawyers Association and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment signed Cooperation Program No. 03 on coordinating the work of building, disseminating, and educating on laws in the field of natural resources and environment for the period 2018-2023.

Based on proposals from the Vietnam Lawyers Association and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Prime Minister has agreed to assign the Vietnam Lawyers Association the task of "Disseminating information and providing training to enhance knowledge and skills in environmental protection for officials 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 organized many training courses to enhance knowledge and skills in environmental protection for its officials and members at all levels in provinces and cities such as Quang Ninh, Phu Yen, Hai Duong, and Thai Binh… In each training session, our speakers disseminated information about the 2020 Environmental Protection Law so that each member of the Association understood their role and responsibility in implementing and disseminating this information to the public.

The Vietnam Lawyers Association organizes training courses on "Improving legal knowledge and monitoring capacity regarding environmental protection" for its officials and members.

Contributing to building a clean living environment.

Interviewer: Could you please elaborate on the role and position of the Vietnam Lawyers Association in environmental protection?

Chairman Nguyen Van Quyen: As a socio-political and professional organization with nearly 80,000 members, the Vietnam Lawyers Association is the largest organization of people who have been and are working in the legal field in all areas of the country's political, economic, and social life, from the central to the grassroots level. In recent years, the Vietnam Lawyers Association has participated in the development of policies and laws on environmental protection, such as participating in the drafting committee and editorial board of the Law on Environmental Protection, other draft laws related to environmental protection, and draft guiding documents for implementation.

Organizing scientific seminars, forums, and conferences to gather feedback and social critique on draft legal documents concerning environmental protection is the most common practice implemented by all levels of the Lawyers' Association.

In addition, the Lawyers' Association at all levels carries out the dissemination and education of law, raising community awareness and enhancing the effectiveness of law enforcement on environmental protection.

Monitoring the implementation of laws on natural resources and the environment through the activities of the Vietnam Lawyers Association, Lawyers Associations at all levels, and their members…

It can be affirmed that, over the years, the various levels of the Vietnam Lawyers Association and its members have always strived to fully participate in training courses and have also organized and disseminated information to a large number of people.

Disseminate information and guide people on how to sort household solid waste at the source.

Interviewer: Mr. Chairman, how will the Vietnam Lawyers Association monitor the implementation of laws on natural resources and the environment?

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 in a timely manner.

The Vietnam Lawyers Association's oversight of the implementation 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. Methods that the Vietnam Lawyers Association can use in monitoring the implementation of environmental protection laws include: organizing monitoring delegations; participating in monitoring with competent agencies and organizations independently or as a member of the Vietnam Fatherland Front…

Interviewer: We understand that the Hanoi Lawyers Association has established a team to promote and monitor the pilot implementation of a model for people-led environmental protection monitoring at the Buoi ward level in Tay Ho district. Could the Chairman please assess the progress of this pilot monitoring model to date?

Chairman Nguyen Van Quyen: In October 2022, the Lawyers' Association of Buoi Ward, in coordination with the People's Committee of Buoi Ward, organized a conference to summarize the pilot program for disseminating the 2020 Environmental Protection Law and monitoring the implementation of household and individual solid waste sorting in alleys 8 and 10, residential group 13, Buoi Ward, Tay Ho District, Hanoi.

The report summarizing the pilot program for disseminating the 2020 Environmental Protection Law and monitoring the implementation of household and individual solid waste sorting in Alley 8 and Alley 10, Block 13, Buoi Ward, Tay Ho District, assessed that households and individuals in Alley 8 and Alley 10, Vong Thi Street, have shown positive changes in awareness, improved understanding and responsibility in environmental protection, and actively participated in the proper sorting of household solid waste, achieving a rate of 95% or higher.

In 2023, the Lawyers' Association of Buoi Ward continued to organize conferences to disseminate information about the 2020 Environmental Protection Law;

We highly appreciate the results that the Lawyers' Association of Buoi Ward has achieved and is achieving. This contributes to minimizing household solid waste released into the environment, making it easier and more effective for relevant authorities to collect and process waste.

Based on the model of Buoi ward, the leaders of the Vietnam Lawyers Association hope that in the future, the Lawyers Association branches at all levels, local organizations, and residential groups will replicate this model so that the 2020 Environmental Protection Law truly comes into effect.

Raising awareness among citizens and households about minimizing the amount of solid household waste released into the environment.

Interviewer: According to the Chairman, what should each level of the association and its members do to further enhance the role of the Vietnam Lawyers Association in environmental protection?

Chairman Nguyen Van Quyen: To further enhance the role of the Vietnam Lawyers Association in environmental protection, we regularly organize training courses on "Improving legal knowledge and monitoring capacity in environmental protection implementation" for officials and members of the Lawyers Association in provinces and cities across the country. This aims to promote the role of the Association at all levels in disseminating and popularizing environmental protection laws, and to improve the legal knowledge of environmental protection among the Association's officials and members.

We hope that these training sessions will serve as a foundation for raising awareness and knowledge in the field of environmental protection among officials and members of the Vietnam Lawyers Association at all levels. This will contribute practically and effectively to the protection of natural resources and the environment, the creation of a clean living environment, and the improvement of public health.

Investor: Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman !

Hoang Bich - Nguyen Nam

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/o-nhiem-moi-truong-tram-trong-hon-do-cac-hoat-dong-xa-thai-a620710.html