XV Committee on Culture and Society: Understanding, accompanying, for harmonious development

The 15th National Assembly term (2021 - 2026) has many important marks in the organization and operation of the National Assembly in general, and the cultural and social fields in particular. The Committee for Culture and Social Affairs plays a core role in formulating and supervising the implementation of policies and laws in the fields under its responsibility, contributing to ensuring harmonious development between the economy and social progress and equity; at the same time, demonstrating the National Assembly's deep concern for people's lives.

Highlights of law-making

According to Chairman of the Committee for Culture and Society Nguyen Dac Vinh, law-making continues to be a bright spot in the activities of the Committee for the 15th term, "with many initiatives, contributing to the improvement of institutions, demonstrating a strategic and humane vision, closely connected with people's lives".

The workload is large, requiring high quality and urgent progress; the scope of responsibility is wide, many fields are complex, specialized, directly related to human rights, basic rights and obligations of citizens. However, with the spirit of initiative, innovation, and high responsibility, in the past term, the Committee for Culture and Society has continuously improved the quality and effectiveness of examination, comments, policy making and law improvement in the fields under its responsibility.

20 draft laws, 6 draft resolutions of the National Assembly , 1 draft ordinance, 6 draft resolutions of the National Assembly Standing Committee chaired by the Committee have contributed to perfecting and strongly innovating the system of policies and laws in the cultural and social fields, meeting the requirements of national development and the aspirations of voters. Many policies have quickly come into life and have been highly appreciated by public opinion.

Delegates attending the 15th term summary conference of the Committee for Culture and Society on the morning of November 23. Photo: Pham Thang

The Party's major policies on culture and society are actively researched, surveyed, summarized from practice, and promptly proposed for institutionalization by the Committee. The reports on examination, explanation, acceptance, and revision are carefully prepared, with professional depth and high criticality. Examination capacity is increasingly improved, especially in assessing social impact, feasibility, and gender mainstreaming.

The Committee has presided over the examination of many new contents, institutionalized for the first time, such as: regulations on preserving documentary heritage in the electronic environment (Law on Cultural Heritage), disseminating films in cyberspace (Law on Cinema), comprehensive policies for teachers (Law on Teachers). In the field of health - insurance, the Committee has proposed and perfected many important policies: taking patients as the center, promoting administrative procedure reform, applying information technology, expanding the form of remote medical examination and treatment (Law on Medical Examination and Treatment); expanding health insurance coverage and benefits, issuing electronic cards (Law on amending and supplementing the Law on Health Insurance); supplementing social pension benefits for the elderly without pensions (Law on Social Insurance)...

In particular, the Committee chaired and coordinated with the Law Committee (now the Law and Justice Committee) to advise the National Assembly to issue Resolution No. 30 at the First Session. This is an unprecedented legislative initiative, creating a unified legal basis for the application of special, specific, and exceptional solutions, mobilizing the entire political system to participate in the prevention and control of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Close coordination, rhythm, "looking in the same direction"

Speaking at the conference summarizing the XV term of the Committee on Culture and Society on the morning of November 23, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh assessed: “The Committee always demonstrates a strategic, comprehensive vision, for the national and ethnic interests, the legitimate and legitimate rights and interests of the People; always sets an example of upholding the sense of responsibility in proactively approaching, preparing early and from afar, striving to improve the quality and ensuring work progress. The Committee's viewpoints and opinions always clearly demonstrate its political stance and spirit of constant innovation, both in legislative thinking and working methods, very scientific, methodical, promoting very well the collective intelligence, the spirit of community responsibility of relevant agencies and organizations and the practical contributions of the team of experts, scholars and intellectuals”.

Prof. Dr. Dao Trong Thi, former Chairman of the Committee for Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children, expressed his joy at the legislative achievements and major policies in the field of education and training during the 15th tenure. Photo: Pham Thang

Leaders of the Committee on Culture and Society of all periods expressed their impression of the results the Committee had achieved during the XV term, demonstrating the enthusiasm, responsibility, courage, intelligence, acumen and flexibility in the Committee's policy responses. Prof. Dr. Dao Trong Thi, former Chairman of the Committee on Culture, Education, Youth, Adolescents and Children, was particularly pleased with the successes in the field of education and training, both in terms of legislation and major policies. These were the submission to the National Assembly for approval of the Law on Teachers; the resolution on universalizing preschool education for children aged 3-5; the resolution on exemption and support of tuition fees for preschool children, general school students and students of general education programs - "very big policies prioritizing education and training that we did not dare to dream of before".

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son thanked and highly appreciated the spirit of cooperation of the Committee for Culture and Society, always "accompanying, understanding, sharing but still playing the right role (criticism)", "looking in the same direction to solve life's problems". Minister Nguyen Kim Son compared this coordination to the clapping of two hands, both responding and rhythmic to create wonderful sounds.

For the first time in a term, the culture, sports and tourism sector has had 5 out of 15 laws passed by the National Assembly, accounting for more than 30% of the total number of laws of the sector in decades. To complete such an "unprecedented" volume of legislation, according to Permanent Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Hai Binh, it is thanks to the Committee for Culture and Society that has accompanied very early, closely and rhythmically coordinated both on the overall system level and specifically from the policy design stage...

The Party's new policies on strong and comprehensive development of Vietnamese culture and people; building a modern national education system on par with the region and the world; sustainable social management and development, ensuring social progress and equity, caring for people's lives, pose many new requirements for institutionalization, supervision of law enforcement and decision-making on important issues. With an increasingly solid foundation, along with a sense of responsibility, intelligence and solidarity, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh believes that the Committee on Culture and Social Affairs will continue to achieve many new achievements in the coming term, "making worthy contributions to the activities of the National Assembly, meeting the trust and expectations of the people".

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/uy-ban-van-hoa-va-xa-hoi-khoa-xv-thau-hieu-dong-hanh-vi-su-phat-trien-hai-hoa-10396839.html