Strengthening inter-sectoral coordination and applying digital technology in emergency management

Photo caption — View of the meeting. Photo: Doan Tan/VNA

Clearly define measures in a state of emergency

According to the Summary Report on explanation, acceptance and revision of the draft Law, regarding the state of emergency, some opinions said that the concept has not specified and quantified the situations; it is recommended to clarify the rationality of determining the threshold exceeding level 3 civil defense, the level of damage to declare a state of emergency; it is recommended to stipulate the concept of types of state of emergency to be consistent with the measures applied in Chapter III.

Chairman of the National Assembly 's Committee on National Defense, Security and Foreign Affairs Le Tan Toi said that through studying the experience of other countries and reviewing the regulations on the state of emergency in specialized laws, it can be seen that the concept of a state of emergency needs to be highly generalized, including the most important elements and characteristics of a state of emergency. In reality, incidents and emergency situations are very diverse, in many fields, with different natures, levels, developments and characteristics, so quantifying to determine the threshold for transition from an urgent situation to a state of emergency is difficult to do. There are incidents and disasters that, when there is a risk of occurring or occurring, must immediately declare a state of emergency without going through civil defense levels (tsunami, radiation and nuclear incidents...). In addition, situations related to national defense, national security, social order and safety leading to a state of emergency do not apply the civil defense level to respond and overcome.

Based on the opinions of National Assembly deputies, the National Assembly Standing Committee has changed the name of the Article to "State of Emergency" and stipulated it into 2 clauses as in Article 2 of the draft Law on acceptance and revision.

Regarding direction, command and forces in a state of emergency, the National Assembly Standing Committee has revised Article 25 of the draft Law, clarifying the responsibilities of the Steering and Command Committees prescribed in specialized laws when declaring a state of emergency; and at the same time, the name of the Article has been changed to "Command and Command Agencies in a State of Emergency" accordingly.

The National Assembly Standing Committee has revised the regulations on forces in a state of emergency, including core forces and broad forces; added a new Article 29 regulating equipment to ensure training, drills, response, and overcoming consequences in a state of emergency as accepted and revised in the draft Law.

Integrating early warning and resource coordination

Discussing in the Hall, delegate Ta Dinh Thi ( Hanoi ) said that, regarding the inter-sectoral and inter-level coordination mechanism, the draft Law has clearly defined principles and stipulated clear contents, demonstrating flexibility while still ensuring unity and transparency in command and operation.

However, according to delegate Ta Dinh Thi, the regulations on management and response to emergency situations for incidents and disasters are also stipulated in specialized laws such as the Law on Chemicals, the Law on Electricity, the Law on Atomic Energy, the Law on Environmental Protection, the Law on Civil Defense, etc. Therefore, to ensure effective implementation of the coordination mechanism as stipulated in the draft Law and ensure flexibility and feasibility in implementation, delegate Ta Dinh Thi proposed to add a clause in Article 3 assigning the Government to stipulate the Regulations on inter-sectoral and inter-level coordination in management and response to emergency situations according to the provisions of this Law and specialized laws.

Considering that the draft Law has approached the trend of the digital age, however, in order for the Law to come into life, delegate Ta Dinh Thi suggested researching and supplementing regulations on the national data platform on emergency situations, connecting from the central to local levels, integrating early warnings, monitoring developments and coordinating resources; investing in an emergency communication system capable of operating in conditions where infrastructure is affected; enhancing training and online response drills to improve the capacity of core forces and the community.

"The draft Law on State of Emergency not only completes the legal framework for prevention and response work, but also demonstrates innovative thinking, access to technology and enhanced inter-sectoral coordination. Specific regulations on coordination mechanisms and application of digital technology will create an important legal basis to protect national security, social order and people's lives and property in the new context," said delegate Ta Dinh Thi.

Participating in the discussion, delegate Duong Khac Mai (Lam Dong) said that at the 10th Session, the National Assembly considered passing the Law on State of Emergency to respond early and remotely, minimize damage caused by the impact of emergency situations on people, and ensure national and ethnic interests is extremely necessary.

Agreeing with the regulation "A person making a decision in an emergency situation is not responsible when the decision is based on information available at the time of making the decision, has a legitimate purpose and is not motivated by personal gain", delegate Duong Khac Mai stated that this regulation both encourages quick action in emergency situations and protects officials who dare to act for the common good.

Expressing concern that the draft Law stipulates an exemption scope that is too broad and lacks a post-audit mechanism, delegate Duong Khac Mai suggested that the drafting agency consider stipulating that the exemption from liability only applies if the decision-maker has the right authority, is based on objective and verified information, does not exceed the necessary limits, and must have the obligation to report and explain specifically to the competent authority after the state of emergency ends.

In the report on receiving and explaining, General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense, said that the drafting agency would take in as many opinions as possible to work with relevant agencies to edit the law to make it concise, easy to understand, easy to implement, and also easy to apply in individual cases.

According to General Phan Van Giang, in an emergency, a special situation that does not happen normally, all groups in society are severely affected, regardless of rich or poor; therefore, response preparation must be comprehensive and holistic.

Regarding the state of national defense and security emergency mentioned in the draft Law, General Phan Van Giang said that the Law on National Defense Industry, Security and Industrial Mobilization has provisions related to the state of emergency. Therefore, the Drafting Agency will absorb and research to include the most basic contents in the draft Law, ensuring the consistency, clarity and completeness of the legal system...

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/chinh-tri/tang-cuong-phoi-hop-lien-nganh-ung-dung-cong-nghe-so-trong-quan-ly-tinh-trang-khan-cap-20251027173336323.htm