Article 1 – General regulations

1. Committee on International Trade Policies (hereinafter referred to as “the Committee” ) is an advisory body of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), set up by the Decision of the President of VCCI.
2. The Committee works for the sustainable development, proper rights and interests of Vietnamese business community in issues relating to international trade policies. 
3. Activities of the Committee are supported in line with other activities of the Program “Enterprises and International Trade Policies” of VCCI

 

Article 2 – Functions and Tasks

The functions and tasks of the Committee will be as follows:

1. Gathering, discussing and harmonizing interests of industries – sectors in the economy in particular and of the whole economy in general; representing business community to make proposal to the Government of appropriate solutions for making policy, negotiating and implementing international trade commitments;
2. Creating a link, a forum for authorities (in charge of making policy, negotiating and implementing international commitments) and business community to exchange information, discuss solutions to international trade policies; 
3. Taking part in activities of raising awareness, providing information on international trade policies and improving policy advocacy skills for business associations and community.

 

Article 3 – Committee Members

1. Members

(i) The Committee has members belonging to 03 following groups:

• Group of specialists who have rich experiences and strong voices in the process of negotiating international trade commitments (they are invited as independent specialists, not necessarily representing the opinions of the agency to which they are belonging);
• Group of representatives from important business associations (goods and services), ensuring relative representativeness for industries in the economy;
• Group of trade researchers.

(ii) The number of members of the Committee is from 20 to 30. Depending on the situation at each period of time and the contribution of members to the Committee’s activities, the President of VCCI will decide to change the members and number of members in the Committee. A list of the Committee members is attached to this Decision.

(iii) Individuals or  representatives of business associations will become Committee members since receiving VCCI President’s invitation and agreeing to join.

Committee Membership will cease in cases where the Member:

• Is considered as unable to take part in activities of the Committee by the President of VCCI; or
• Voluntarily withdraws his/her membership.

(iv) Representatives of VCCI in the Committee will be the Committee President. Committee President does the rights and obligations set out in this Charter.

2. Rights and obligations

(i) Committee Members have the following rights:

• Raising and reserving their personal ideas and/or opinions of the agency they are representing for relating to the Policy Proposals of the Committee;
• Making proposal on the working agenda and orientation of the Committee;
• Receiving fees for their contribution to activities and work within the Committee tasks and functions assigned by the Committee.

(ii) Committee Members have the following obligations: 

• Taking an active, enthusiastic and effective part in activities of the Committee ;
• Cooperating with other members and the Committee Secretariat for the most discharge of its functions and tasks.

 

Article 4 – Committee Secretariat

1. The Secretariat is an assistant body of the Committee in:

1. Preparing content work for Committee’s meetings;
2. Doing administrative work for Committee’s meetings;
3. Monitoring the impact of the Committee policy proposals and feedbacks from government agencies;
4. Implementing activities to support business associations in raising awareness, providing information and building capacity.
5. Ensuring the regular operation of the Committee between each two meetings.

2. The Secretariat uses manpower and facilities of VCCI to carry out its activities.

 

Article 5 – Operational rules

The Committee operates under the following rules:

1. Periodical meetings (every 6 months) and ad-hoc meetings (when necessary and called by the Committee President for handling issues within the Committee’s tasks and functions that the Committee President consider necessary)
2. The Secretariat and its members work specifically and flexibly in:

• Organizing and doing research on issues relating to international trade policies;
• Collecting information, propagating and popularizing related issues (caring out training courses, publishing  publications, hosting and guiding forums, operating a Portal on International Trade Policies…);
• Other activities within the Committee tasks and functions.

Regular activities between each two meetings will be taken by the Secretariat with reports and approval beforehand by the Committee’s President. The Secretariat will report on the implementation and results of these regular activities in the Committee’s  periodical meeting.

 

Article 6 – Committee Meetings

1. The Secretariat is in charge of preparing:

1. 1. Committee meeting agenda (on international trade policy issues which are interested by the business community or in the process  of negotiation )
   2. Issues for discussion;
   3. Policy Proposal Draft.

These documents will be prepared by the Secretariat and sent in advance to members within 7 days before the meeting. Information will be sent via emails and by post/direct delivery/fax.

2. The meeting will be summoned if having the participation of at least 50% of Committee members (or their representatives). In case a member cannot take part in the meeting (directly/assigning representatives) but still send his/her comments in writing on issues of the meeting agenda, he/she will be considered to be present at the meeting

3. At the meeting, Committee members will discuss and vote for each single issue in the agenda. The Committee will make decision in favor of major votes (present or in writing) for each policy issue proposed. In case of equal number of votes, the issue will be decided by the vote of the Committee President.

4. Results of meetings are Policy Proposals based on the votes and sent to related agencies.

5. Meetings can have the participation (to discuss but not to vote), of representatives of business associations, business groups, specialists and, if necessary according to the Committee President’s decision, relevant agencies who are not Committee’s members.

6. Press and media can participate and publish news about Committee meetings unless the Committee President makes otherwise decision when necessary.

 

Article 7 – Finance

1. The Committee operation is based on following financial sources:
   • Domestic and foreign funding sources;
   • State budget;
   • Other income sources;  and/or
   • VCCI’s budget.

Under all circumstances, VCCI will ensure financial source for the regular and continuous operation of the Committee and the Secretariat.

2. The Committee finance is implemented within the framework and according to financial mechanism of VCCI and other funding units, if any.

 

Article 8 – Final provisions

1. This Regulation will come into force from the date of approval by the President of VCCI.

2. Any modifications and/or additions to this Regulation will only come into force after the approval of  the President of VCCI./

 

Annex

Working Procedures for the Committee Secretariat.

 

A. Procedures for preparing content for Committee’s meetings.

Step 1 – Searching for information, receiving proposals.

Basing on recommendations/policy proposals of Committee members, business associations, enterprises and others or on its own ideas, the Secretariat will:

1. Analyze and clarify the content of policy proposals;
2. Search and identify information on policies which are or will be negotiated relating to policy proposals mentioned above.

Step 2 – Drawing up Committee’s meeting agenda

Basing on the analysis of policy proposals, recommendations, initiatives and the actual situation of negotiating and implementing international trade commitments at that time and the next 6 months, the Secretariat will drawing up a draft of the Committee’s meeting agenda.

The Secretariat will send the meeting agenda draft to the Committee President at least 2 months before the meeting. The Committee President is responsible for making comments, adjustment of meeting agenda within 2 weeks after receiving the draft. The Secretariat will then amend the Draft and submit to the President for approval. 

In all cases, Meeting Agenda will be approved within 1 month before the meeting.

Step 3 – Drawing up Policy Proposal Draft for the Committee meetings

Basing on the meeting agenda approved by the Committee President, the Secretariat will make a detailed draft:

1. Issues for discussion

Including:

1. • Indentifying a basic topic for discussion;
   • Preliminary analysis of expected effects of each issue on groups of related industries – sectors ;
   • Collecting information and presenting briefly  arguments (both for and against)  of discussion issues.
2. Policy Proposal Draft

Including:

• • Building structure and basic content of the policy proposal;
  • Preparing appropriate arguments for each basic issue;

 

B. Procedures for completing Policy Proposal, sending it to government agencies and monitoring feedbacks. 

Step 1 – Completing Policy Proposal

The Policy Proposal Draft after being amended in line with discussion and voting result at the Committee will become the Committee’s official Policy Proposal. Each meeting session will have 01 Policy Proposal.

Step 2 – Sending  Policy Proposal to relevant agencies

The Secretariat will send the Policy Proposal to all relevant agencies in charge of policy making, negotiating and implementing policies mentioned in the Policy Proposal.

The Secretariat then will send the Policy Proposal to press and media agencies unless the Committee President makes otherwise decision.

The Secretariat, in cooperation with specialists, individuals and other organizations,  can transfer the content of the Policy Proposal into other forms (articles, summaries, interviews…) in compliance with communication requirements for the purpose of introduction, popularization of the Policy Proposal via the media.

Step 3 – Monitoring feedbacks

The Secretariat will receive all feedbacks, if any, from agencies getting Policy Proposal and inform in writing or via email to Committee members about the main content of each feedback. The Secretariat will be responsible for sending feedback information to press and media agencies unless the Committee President makes otherwise decision.

In case that the agency receiving Policy Proposal does not have any feedbacks, the Secretariat will identify and contact the person who is the focal point in that agency to verify the status of handling the Committee’s Policy Proposal and inform the result to Committee members. 

 

C. Procedures for carrying out other activities (training, propaganda, survey, research, providing information, communication…) under the Program “Enterprises and International Trade Policy” 

Sep 1 – Operational initiatives

Basing on the annual action plan of the Program and according to request of business associations, Committee members’ initiatives, requests of relevant agencies, the Secretariat will define specific activities of the Program at each single period.

Step 2 – Implementation

The Secretariat will prepare logistic issues necessary for the implementation of Program’s activities, make a list of appropriate Committee members and other specialists (hereinafter referred to as “specialists”)  to take part in respective activities and invite them to join.

The Secretariat will inform requirements and schedule for each activity to relevant specialists. These specialists will prepare the content meeting all requirements informed and then send it back to the Secretariat before the activities take place and directly take part in the activities, if any.

Step 3 – Finish

Every quarter, the Secretariat will be responsible for summarizing operational results of the Program implemented during that quarter, assessing the operational progress compared with the whole year plan. The summary of quarterly operational results will be sent to all Committee members for making reports and making co-coordinating plan for next activities, if any.

 

E. Financial resource for activities undertaken by the Secretariat in the framework of the Program “Companies and International Trade Policy”

Activities undertaken by the Secretariat in the framework of the Program are covered by the Program’s financial resource. VCCI is responsible for ensuring the financial resource for the Program.

Specialists taking part in the Program’s activities organized by the Secretariat will be paid fees based on the nature, content and quality of the output (as agreements in the contract between VCCI and the specialists for that activity).

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