The draft Law on Belief and Religion should institutionalise the Party’sviewpoints and the 2013 Constitution in order to ensure the right tobelief and religious freedom of all people, as heard at an expertconsultation held in Hanoi on July 23.

DaoTrong Thi, Head of the National Assembly Committee for Culture,Education, Youth and Children, said that the 2013 Constitutionstipulates the right to belief and religious freedom is one of the basicand important human rights, respected and protected by the State.

As such, it is necessary to issue the Law on Belief and Religion to realise the Constitution’s regulations, he added.

Delegates noted that during the 10-year implementation of theOrdinance on Belief and Religion, many shortcomings arose amid thedevelopment of religious and belief activities, requiring renovations ofthe law system.

While drafting the law, Ngo HuuThao from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and PublicAdministration emphasised the need to consult international lawsrelating to the right to religious freedom, collect public opinions, andconform to the Party’s viewpoints and the Constitution’s regulations onreligion and religious affairs.

Former Head ofthe NA Committee for Cultural, Education, Youth and Children Tran ThiTam Dan suggested the drafting board look carefully at theorganisation, the operation and the management system of belief andreligion to determine the similarities and dissimilarities of belief andregion in considering whether to combine them into one law or divide itinto two legal documents.

As scheduled, thedraft law, which comprises 11 chapters, 12 items and 69 articles, willbe debated for the first time at the 10 th session of the 13 thNational Assembly and is expected to be adopted at the second session ofthe 14 th NA in October 2016.-VNA