The first event, the 2026 Northern Regional Conference on Public Petition and Oversight Work, took place in Quang Ninh Province on 8-9 October 2026. The conference gathered representatives of National Assembly delegations, provincial People’s Councils, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and relevant institutions from across northern localities. Discussions focused on improving voter engagement, citizen reception, petition handling, and oversight activities, while emphasizing the importance of ensuring that citizens’ recommendations are addressed in a timely, transparent, and effective manner.
The second event, the 2026 Southern Regional Conference on Public Petition and Oversight Work, was held in Can Tho City on 12 October 2026, concluding the nationwide regional conference series. Participants exchanged practical experiences and explored approaches to strengthening oversight mechanisms, enhancing coordination among elected bodies and the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and improving the quality of public petition work throughout the southern region.
Across both conferences, delegates highlighted a common objective: strengthening oversight not only by monitoring official responses but also by following the entire resolution process and assessing concrete outcomes for citizens. Participants stressed that the effectiveness of public petition and oversight work should be measured by the extent to which citizens’ concerns are resolved, responsibilities are clarified, public services are improved, and trust in state institutions is strengthened.
Digital transformation emerged as a key theme throughout the discussions. Delegates underscored the importance of developing integrated databases, improving information sharing among institutions, and applying digital technologies, including artificial intelligence, to support petition management, oversight activities, and public engagement. These measures were widely recognized as essential for enhancing transparency, accountability, coordination, and responsiveness across all levels of government.
As a longstanding partner of the National Assembly, KAS Vietnam continues to support dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and capacity-building initiatives on legislative practice, public petition work, and oversight. Through its support for the 2026 regional conferences in Quang Ninh and Can Tho, KAS provided a platform for policymakers, elected representatives, researchers, and practitioners to exchange experiences and identify innovative solutions for strengthening governance and public accountability.
The conferences reaffirmed the value of cooperation, practical learning, and institutional innovation in advancing effective oversight and promoting transparent, accountable, and citizen-oriented governance in Vietnam.
