Developing breakthrough policies for the preservation of traditional ethnic minority cultures.

In order to gather broad opinions from agencies, organizations, experts, and the public to finalize the draft Decree regulating the preservation and development of cultural heritage...

Bộ Văn hóa, Thể thao và Du lịch•22/05/2026

The Party and the State have always identified the preservation and promotion of national cultural values as a strategic task. Although many policies and guidelines on national culture have been issued, this field has not yet been fully institutionalized through laws or specialized decrees. The legal framework supporting the management and administration of ethnic cultures remains incomplete, affecting the effectiveness of managing, preserving, and promoting the traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities.

In the context of international integration, urbanization, and socio-economic development, many valuable traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities, many traditional cultural spaces, and traditional villages and hamlets in ethnic minority areas are facing the risk of disappearing, requiring comprehensive solutions, among which improving institutions is an urgent requirement.

Furthermore, policies supporting and promoting the role of cultural entities, especially core and emerging cultural entities in ethnic minority and mountainous regions, are inadequate and lack sufficient motivation for these entities to actively participate in preserving and transmitting traditional cultural values within their communities. Current regulations focus on policies for exceptionally talented artisans and those who have contributed to the protection and promotion of intangible cultural heritage, who have been awarded the titles of People's Artisan and Distinguished Artisan in the field of intangible cultural heritage, and who are entitled to policies and benefits under the Law on Cultural Heritage and the Law on Emulation and Commendation.

However, the current legal system lacks comprehensive, consistent, and specific regulations for the preservation and development of the cultures of ethnic minorities; it has not clearly defined mechanisms for identifying and classifying the level of risk of the loss of traditional cultural values; it lacks mechanisms for direct support to core cultural entities and successor cultural entities; and it lacks appropriate mechanisms for assigning tasks and allocating funds to promote the initiative and self-reliance of ethnic minorities in the process of restoring, preserving, and promoting the development of traditional cultural values at risk of loss or disappearance.

The implementation of these programs still faces some difficulties and obstacles due to the lack of specific and synchronized mechanisms and policies for the preservation and development of ethnic minority cultures. Based on the budget allocated from the central government, localities are applying different mechanisms, policies, procedures, and support methods to implement projects for the preservation and development of ethnic minority cultures in different areas, leading to difficulties in managing and evaluating the effectiveness of budget utilization, affecting the progress and quality of the implementation of national target programs.

To date, the preservation of ethnic minority and mountainous region cultures has been primarily funded and implemented by the state; there is still no complete, unified, and stable legal mechanism to provide direct and regular support to individuals, organizations, units, and businesses participating in the preservation and development of ethnic minority cultures. The mechanism for mobilizing social resources is unclear and insufficient to attract resources from society.

Therefore, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the issuance of a Decree regulating the preservation and development of the culture of ethnic minorities is necessary to fully institutionalize the Party's guidelines and the State's policies; and to provide detailed regulations for Clause 1, Article 6 of Resolution No. 28/2026/QH16 on the development of Vietnamese culture.

Simultaneously, establish a unified and consistent legal framework for the preservation and development of traditional cultures of ethnic minorities; define mechanisms for reviewing, identifying, classifying, and prioritizing the preservation of traditional cultural values at risk of disappearing.

In addition, the regulations stipulate direct support policies for core cultural entities and emerging cultural entities; mechanisms for ordering, assigning tasks, and contracting expenditures suitable to the specific characteristics of community cultural activities ; linking the preservation of traditional culture with the development of community tourism, sustainable livelihoods, and digital transformation; and promoting the application of science and technology and digital transformation in the archiving, digitization, promotion, and development of the traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities.

According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism , the perspective in drafting the Decree is to accurately identify key policies at the legal level to remove bottlenecks, create breakthroughs in resources, and focus on policies that directly support core cultural entities, emerging cultural entities, and mechanisms for commissioning, assigning tasks, and contracting out activities in accordance with the specific characteristics of community cultural activities.

Designing policies and regulations that ensure both the consistency of the legal system and the unique, groundbreaking characteristics of Vietnamese culture, in line with Resolution No. 28/2026/QH16 on the development of Vietnamese culture, while ensuring feasibility and available resources ; and ensuring compliance with the Party's guidelines and policies on the development of Vietnamese culture and ethnic affairs in the new situation.

Specifically, the focus should be on ethnic minority communities as the central subjects of cultural preservation and development activities ; a harmonious combination of preservation and development; between safeguarding traditional cultural values and promoting cultural values in socio-economic development ; and prioritizing the preservation of traditional cultural values at risk of disappearing; ethnic groups facing numerous difficulties and specific challenges; and remote, mountainous, and border regions.

Furthermore, it is essential to ensure consistency and uniformity with the current legal system; promote decentralization and delegation of authority coupled with the responsibility of local authorities in implementation; ensure transparency, openness, and efficiency in the management and use of resources ; ensure suitability to practical realities and overcome obstacles and shortcomings in the practical work of preserving and promoting traditional cultural values ; and ensure transparency, feasibility, accessibility, and facilitate the effective implementation of the preservation and development of traditional cultures of ethnic minorities.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is currently seeking feedback on the draft Decree on the Ministry's electronic portal: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/y-kien-cho-van-ban-du-thao?dtid=7698

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/xay-dung-chinh-sach-dot-pha-cho-bao-ton-van-hoa-truyen-thong-dan-toc-thieu-so.htm