Quyết định 1278/QD-TTg

DECISION

APPROVING THE PLAN ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT STATEMENT AND FRAMEWORK PROGRAM BETWEEN VIETNAM, CAMBODIA AND THAILAND ON PARTNERSHIP ON OIL SPILL INCIDENT PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE IN THE GULF OF THAILAND

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the December 25, 2001 Law on Organization of the Government;
Pursuant to the June 14, 2005 Law on Conclusion, Accession to and Implementation of Treaties;
At the proposal of the head of the National Committee for Search and Rescue,

DECIDES:

Article 1. To approve the Plan on Implementation of the Joint Statement and Framework Program between Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand on partnership on oil spill incident preparedness and response in the Gulf of Thailand in the 2009-2015 period (below referred to as the Plan) with the following principal contents:

I. OBJECTIVES, REQUIREMENTS

1. Objectives: To fulfill Vietnam's obligations on partnership with Cambodia and Thailand on timely and effective preparedness and response to oil spill incidents in-the Gulf of Thailand in accordance with the Joint Statement and Framework Program between Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand on partnership on oil spill incident preparedness and response in the Gulf of Thailand (below referred to as the Joint Statement and Framework Program).

2. Requirements: To develop and strengthen integrated marine resource and environment management systems, human resource training, research and development, environmental surveillance, and risk identification and assessment in order to prevent, be prepared and respond in time to oil spill incidents in Vietnam's sea areas, as well as coordinate with Cambodia. Thailand and concerned organizations and individuals in responding to and handling oil spill incidents in the Gulf of Thailand in order to minimize the damage caused by spilt oil.

II. TASKS

1. To perfect the legal framework on risk monitoring and assessment and marine oil spill incident response and handling.

2. To build, consolidate, and raise the capacity of, the oil spill incident surveillance, discovery, response and handling system.

3. To conduct training and retraining, exercises and drills, and propaganda to raise community awareness about environmental protection and marine oil spill incident response and handling.

4. To research and develop oil spill incident response and handling services.

5. To enter into international cooperation on oil spill incident prevention, response and handling.

III. CONTENTS OF THE PLAN

Schemes and projects, responsible and coordinating agencies; and implementation period of the Plan for the 2009-2015 period on five groups of tasks are provided in the Annex "List of schemes and plans to implement the Joint Statement and Framework Program" to this Decision.

Article 2. Responsibilities of concerned agencies and organization of implementation

1. The National Committee for Search and Rescue shall direct and implement activities of responding to oil spill incidents in Vietnam, having the duties:

a/ To perform the tasks defined in the Plan related to its functions, tasks and powers in the implementation of the Joint Statement and Framework Program.

b/ To mobilize forces and means of ministries, branches and localities in collaborating with international forces involved in responding to oil spill incidents in Vietnam's southern sea and the Gulf of Thailand according to regulations.

c/ To direct regional oil spill response centers in Vietnam and collaborate with national oil spill response centers of Cambodia and Thailand to coordinate forces and means involved in responding to oil spill incidents in the Gulf of Thailand in accordance with the agreements and provisions of the Joint Statement and Framework Program.

2. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment shall act as the national contact point for the implementation of the Joint Statement and Framework Program, having the duties:

a/ To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries and branches in. promulgating, or submitting to competent authorities for promulgation, documents on risk monitoring and assessment and marine oil spill incident response and handling in accordance with the Joint Statement and Framework Program.

b/ To assume the prime responsibility for, and coordinate with concerned ministries, branches and localities in. organizing oil spill incident response and handling to meet the requirements of the Joint Statement and Framework Program; to coordinate with the National Committee for Search and Rescue in reaching agreement on a mechanism for coordination between the Ministry and the National Committee for Search and Rescue in implementing the Joint Statement and Framework Program.

c/ To coordinate with the national contact points of Cambodia and Thailand in implementing the Joint Statement and Framework Program.

d/ To sum up and report to the Prime Minister on the implementation of the Joint Statement and Framework Program before January 25. every year, and propose necessary solutions to organizing the effective implementation of the Joint Statement and Framework Program; to conduct a preliminary review of the implementation of the Plan in the 2009-2010 period and a final review of the 2009-2015 period, and report to the Prime Minister.

e/ The Vietnam General Department of Sea and Islands, an agency attached to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, shall give advice to and assist the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment in implementing the Joint Statement and Framework Program.

3. Concerned ministries and branches and the People's Committees of Ca Mau. Kien Giang and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces shall, within the scope of their management, perform the tasks in the Plan related to their respective functions, tasks and powers: and notify results of performance of their assigned tasks to the national contact point for sum-up and report to the Prime Minister according to regulations.

4. The Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance shall balance and arrange funds from the state budget and other sources in annual plans in the 2009-2010 period and 2011-2015 period: and study the additional allocation of funds for the performance of tasks in the Plan for which no fund has been allocated yet according to regulations, in order to ensure the effective implementation of the Plan.

5. In the course of implementing the Plan, the National Committee for Search and Rescue, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and concerned ministries and branches shall closely coordinate with one another in organizing the effective implementation of the Plan and promptly report any arising problems to the Prime Minister for decision.

Article 3. Implementation funds

Based on the tasks assigned under this Decision, the National Committee for Search and Rescue, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, other ministries and branches shall elaborate and approve tasks, programs, schemes and projects for formulating tentative budgets for the implementation of the Plan in accordance with regulations on management of investment and construction and the Law on the State Budget.

Article 4. Implementation provisions

1. This Decision takes effect on the date of its signing for promulgation.

2. The head of the National Committee for Search and Rescue, and the Ministers of: Natural Resources and Environment, Transport, National Defense, Foreign Affairs, Justice, Science and Technology, Information and Communications, and concerned ministries and branches, the People's Committees of Ba Ria- Vung Tau. Ca Mau and Kien Giang and the Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation shall implement this Decision.

ANNEX

LIST OF SCHEMES AND PROJECTS TO IMPLEMENT THE JOINT STATEMENT AND FRAMEWORK PROGRAM
(To the Prime Minister's Decision No. 1278/QD-TTg of August 14, 2009)