An overhaul of Việt Nam’s constitution is underway, backed by a state research grant of 7 billion đồng.
The Latest: On July 30, the National Foundation for Science and Technology Development, an agency under the Ministry of Science and Technology, issued a notice seeking a research organization to review the implementation of the 2013 Constitution and propose comprehensive amendments.
- State funding is capped at 7 billion đồng, with a maximum project term of 30 months.
The Details: According to the notice, the project is titled “A Scientific Review Of The Implementation Of The 2013 Constitution And Proposals For Comprehensive Amendments To Meet Việt Nam’s Development Needs In The New Era.”
- The project aims to examine the theory and practice of constitution-making in Việt Nam and around the world and “develop a system of viewpoints, directions, and proposed provisions for a comprehensive revision of the 2013 Constitution.”
- The selected organization will also be required to prepare a draft policy dossier for comprehensively amending the 2013 Constitution.
- Applications will be accepted from July 31 through Aug. 13, 2026, giving applicants just two weeks to apply.
About NAFOSTED: The National Foundation for Science and Technology Development is a public service unit under the Ministry of Science and Technology that provides financial support for scientific research projects.
- Funded by the central government, NAFOSTED is the country’s largest research grantmaker.
The Background: The current push for a comprehensive review began earlier in 2025.
- Feb. 28, 2025: The Politburo and the Communist Party Secretariat issued Conclusion No. 127, calling for a review and revision of Party regulations, the 2013 Constitution, and the legal system, with a target completion date of June 30.
- May 5, 2025: The National Assembly passed Resolution No. 194 on amending several provisions of the 2013 Constitution. It also adopted Resolution No. 195, which established a committee to draft the constitutional amendments.
- During a National Assembly group discussion that same day, Tô Lâm stated: “If possible, we will fundamentally amend the Constitution later, but that will have to wait until the next Party Congress.”
- June 16, 2025: The National Assembly approved the constitutional amendment resolution, with all 470 lawmakers present voting in favor. The resolution took effect immediately upon passage.
From the National Assembly’s decision to amend the Constitution to the completion of the process, the entire effort took 43 days with support from 100% of the lawmakers present.
Why It Matters: The proposed revisions are part of a broader mandate from the highest levels of government.
- On Feb. 6, the resolution of the Communist Party’s 14th National Congress included the task of “studying and reviewing the implementation of the 2013 Constitution and comprehensively amending it to reflect current realities and Việt Nam’s development needs in the new period” among its priorities for building a rule-of-law state.
- On April 2, the Politburo issued its conclusions on legislative priorities for the 16th National Assembly’s term, calling for a review of the Constitution’s implementation and research into a comprehensive revision.
- On June 16, at a conference on implementing the legislative priorities of the 16th National Assembly, Phan Chí Hiếu — a member of the Party Central Committee and chairman of the National Assembly’s Law and Justice Committee — reported that the proposed comprehensive revision of the 2013 Constitution must reflect current realities.
Thành Phương wrote this news article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on August 11, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine translated it into English.
