In August 2022, the Government enacted Decree 58/2022/ND-CP ("Decree") to guide the registration and management of operations of foreign non-government organisations ("NGOs") in Vietnam. With effect from 1 November 2022, the decree will replace Decree 12/2012/ND-CP on the same subject.
The new Decree tightens the scope of what constitutes a foreign NGO, and now legislates that a foreign NGO only refers to organisations that receive funding from foreign countries. Such NGOs cannot raise funds from domestic sources.
The Decree also makes it clear as to the circumstances when the authorities may order an NGO's operations to be suspended or terminated. Under the former decree, such circumstances were not defined, and opened the right of the authorities to order suspension or termination of the NGO's operations by mere violation by the NGO of its operational licence.
