Deepening international integration and rapid advances in science and technology are directly affecting efforts to preserve and promote the traditional cultural values of ethnic minority groups, highlighting the need for a coherent and effective legal framework to improve governance in the ethnic culture sector.
Politburo Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW dated January 7, 2026 on developing Vietnamese culture affirms that culture stands on par with politics, economy, and society, serving as a foundation, an endogenous resource, and a key driver of national development.
The Party and State have consistently identified the preservation and promotion of ethnic cultural values as a strategic task. Despite numerous policies, the sector has yet to be fully institutionalised through specialised laws or decrees. Amid rapid urbanisation and socio-economic development, many traditional values, particularly in ethnic minority areas, face the risk of erosion, making institutional reform an urgent requirement.
Experts note that Vietnam holds advantages as a member of and signatory to major conventions of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), including the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
However, the application of these legal foundations remains uneven and limited in effectiveness. Bui Quang Thanh of the Vietnam National Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism observed that from Decree No. 65 issued on November 23, 1945 by the Provisional Government on heritage preservation to subsequent Party and State policies, legal instruments have contributed to safeguarding cultural heritage, though gaps remain.
Viewing culture as both an asset and a source of national strength, Hoang Anh Tuan, Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities under Vietnam National University, Hanoi, said the legal framework supporting ethnic cultural management remains insufficient, affecting the efficiency of preservation and promotion efforts.
Recent years have recorded encouraging results through programmes such as Politburo Resolution No. 08-NQ/TW dated January 16, 2017 on developing tourism into a spearhead economic sector and Project 6 under the National Target Programme for socio-economic development in ethnic minority-inhabited and mountainous areas. These initiatives have helped localities maintain and promote cultural identities.
Nevertheless, in the new development phase, transforming ethnic cultural values into drivers of socio-economic growth and sustainable livelihoods requires specialised and unified mechanisms. The lack of dedicated legal regulations has hindered governance and limited the mobilisation of resources through public–private partnerships, while also affecting the design of tax incentives and financial support policies for cultural preservation.
According to Trinh Ngoc Chung, Director of the Department of Ethnic Cultures under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the ethnic culture sector currently lacks a standalone law. Establishing a specialised legal mechanism is therefore essential not only for improving management but also for preserving traditional values and promoting local development.
Institutional reform must balance preservation with development, linking culture with tourism and economic activities while fostering a healthy cultural environment within communities.
This requirement aligns with the Government’s action programme to implement Resolution No. 80-NQ/TW, which emphasises reviewing and completing legal frameworks in areas still governed by sub-law documents or not yet fully institutionalised, including ethnic culture, grassroots cultural activities, public communication, and cultural management in the digital environment.
In practice, developing a law or decree on ethnic cultural affairs is considered necessary to enhance state management effectiveness and promote culture as an endogenous resource, ensuring sustainable development while preserving Vietnam’s cultural identity amid deeper international integration.
