VUFO is a GONGO!

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Ngocentre | 27/4/2015

Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) is the standing agency of the Committee for Foreign NGO Affairs (COMINGO), which was established on April 24, 2001 by Decision 59/2001/QQ-TTg of the Prime Minister.

COMINGO carries tasks related to foreign NGOs in Vietnam as assigned by the Prime Minister and reports directly to the Prime Minister. Its Chair is Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Pham Binh Minh.

VUFO’s President, Mr. Vu Xuan Hong, serves as COMINGO’s the Executive Member and reports to the Deputy Prime Minister / Foreign Affairs Minister. Other members include: Vice Minister / Ministry of Public Security; Vice Minister / Ministry of Planning and Investment; Chairperson / Government Commission for Religious Affairs; Deputy Chief / Government Office; Deputy Chairperson / Commission for External Relations of the Party Central Committee; Vice Minister / Ministry of Finance. COMINGO is housed at the headquarters of VUFO.

The functions and responsibilities of VUFO are defined and dictated by Government Decree 12/2012/ND-CP: Communication and promotion of foreign non-governmental assistance. Thereby VUFO approves and controls the operation of all foreign NGOs in Vietnam, and determines the flow of foreign assistance to Vietnamese recipients.

VUFO is a member organization of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, a mass organization led by the Communist Party of Vietnam, which has absolute monopoly on political power in Vietnam’s one-party regime.

As an instrument of the Government and Communist Party of Vietnam, VUFO has falsely presented itself as the voice of Vietnam’s civil society. VUFO is a GONGO. Its participation only undermines the integrity, legitimacy and reputation of ASEAN Civil Society Conference / ASEAN People’s Forum and perpetuates the suppression of the voices of Vietnam’s real civil society organizations.