Criteria for recognizing island communes and safe zone communes during periods of resistance.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra recently signed Decision No. 40/2025/QD-TTg dated October 31, 2025, on the criteria, procedures, and processes for recognizing island communes and safe zone communes during the resistance wars against France and the United States.

Criteria for recognizing island communes

According to Decision No. 40/2025/QD-TTg, a commune or ward recognized as an island commune must meet the following two criteria:

a) Having 50% or more of its natural area as islands or archipelagos as stipulated in Article 19 of the 2012 Vietnamese Law on the Sea (amended and supplemented by the Law on Organization of Local Government dated June 16, 2025) or having its entire natural area as islet isolated from the mainland, with conditions similar to islands;

b) There are permanent residents or armed forces stationed on the islands, archipelagos, or islets to participate in the management and protection of national defense, security, and maritime sovereignty .

The decision also clarifies that the special zone is recognized as an island commune and does not have to go through the procedures for requesting recognition as an island commune.

Criteria for recognizing a commune as a Safe Zone

Decision No. 40/2025/QD-TTg stipulates that communes, wards, and special zones (hereinafter referred to as commune-level administrative units) are recognized as Safe Zone communes when they meet three or more of the following five criteria:

1. Directed by Party committees from the Regional Party Committee, Military Region Party Committee and above, to build revolutionary safe zones (places with suitable terrain, geographical location, political , military, socio-economic conditions, population, and ensuring safety for the Party's revolutionary leadership activities during the resistance war against France and the United States).

2. The residence (shelter, hiding place, secret location), workplace, and leadership and guidance activities of Party, State, Vietnam Fatherland Front, and political-social organizations at the regional and military district levels and above in building the revolutionary movement during the resistance wars against France and the United States.

A section of the Ring Road in An Binh ward, Can Tho city, a road that played a crucial military role during the two wars of national liberation. (Photo: Trung Kien/TTXVN)

3. Places where particularly important events took place, where strategic decisions of the Party were made that marked turning points during the two resistance wars against France and the United States, or places where the headquarters of agencies, organizations, and units of the Party, State, Vietnam Fatherland Front, and political-social organizations from the Regional and Military Region levels upwards were located, foreign diplomatic offices, and the headquarters of the Front Command at the campaign level during the resistance wars against France and the United States.

4. Places for the encampment, training, assembly, and transit of armed forces (army, police) from company level upwards; places with warehouses for storing food, weapons, equipment, uniforms, supplies, and other essential items and supplies during the resistance against the French and American forces, serving the Front at the campaign level or Military Region level and above.

5. Areas with strong revolutionary bases and movements during the resistance against the French and American forces; where the local armed forces proactively or in coordination with regular armed forces organized battles against the enemy to protect the safety of Party and State officials, agencies, and organizations located in the area; or where important victorious battles took place, contributing to creating a favorable battlefield situation for the revolution and resistance in the area and surrounding regions.

Decision No. 40/2025/QD-TTg also specifies the procedures and documents required for requesting recognition of island communes and safe zone communes.

Decision No. 40/2025/QD-TTg takes effect from October 31, 2025.

Transitional provisions

1. Island communes and safe zone communes that were recognized by the Prime Minister before the effective date of this Decision and are not subject to administrative unit restructuring in 2025 shall continue to be recognized as island communes and safe zone communes without having to follow the procedures stipulated in this Decision.

2. In cases where administrative units at the commune level that have already been recognized as island communes and whose entire natural area consists of islands, archipelagos, or islets are merged into a new administrative unit at the commune level, the new administrative unit at the commune level will be recognized as an island commune without having to follow the procedures stipulated in this Decision.

A sign designating the coral reef protection area is placed on the coast of Nhon Chau island commune, Gia Lai province. (Photo: VNA)

3. In cases where an administrative unit at the commune level that has already been recognized as a Safe Zone commune is merged with all or part of other administrative units at the commune level to form a new administrative unit at the commune level, the new administrative unit at the commune level will be recognized as a Safe Zone commune without having to follow the procedures stipulated in this Decision.

4. In cases where a commune-level administrative unit that has already been recognized as an island commune or a safe zone commune is renamed, or a new commune-level administrative unit is established based on the existing status of a commune-level administrative unit that has already been recognized as an island commune or a safe zone commune, the new commune-level administrative unit will continue to be recognized as an island commune or a safe zone commune without having to follow the procedures stipulated in this Decision.

5. For commune-level administrative units established through mergers, divisions, or boundary adjustments by competent authorities, which include a portion of island communes or safe zone communes and do not fall under the provisions of Clauses 2 and 3 of this Article, the Provincial People's Committee shall direct the Commune People's Committee to review, prepare dossiers, and carry out the procedures for requesting recognition of island communes or safe zone communes (if any) as prescribed in this Decision.

6. The Prime Minister's decisions on recognizing safe zones, safe zone communes, and island communes shall continue to be in effect until the decisions of the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee on recognizing or publishing the list of island communes and safe zone communes come into effect.

7. Until decisions recognizing or publishing the list of island communes and safe zone communes as stipulated in Clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of this Article are made, citizens, officials, civil servants, employees, and those receiving salaries in the armed forces who are currently enjoying benefits and policies for island communes, safe zone communes, and safe zone areas shall continue to enjoy the benefits and policies according to current regulations until the decisions of the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee on recognizing or publishing the list of island communes and safe zone communes take effect.

8. For commune-level administrative units that were recognized as island communes before the effective date of this Decision but are no longer recognized as island communes after review, the people, officials, civil servants, employees, and those receiving salaries in the armed forces living and working on the natural area of islands and archipelagos of these commune-level administrative units shall be subject to the same regimes and policies as those for island communes according to current regulations, except in cases where documents on regimes and policies stipulate otherwise.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/tieu-chi-cong-nhan-xa-dao-va-xa-an-toan-khu-trong-cac-thoi-ky-khang-chien-post1074184.vnp