Rule of Law Dialogue between Germany and Vietnam
Hybrid workshop on Sharing Experience on dispute resolution in E-Commerce in Vietnam
Opening remark by Mr. Michael Siegner, Resident Representative of HSF Vietnam
HSF
The pandemic that began in 2020 has helped the Vietnamese internet trading business grow more rapidly than it already had. However, this rise has also increased the prevalence of frauds and criminal activities in online transactions, such as cancelled or delayed deliveries. As a result, law enforcement is prone to new challenges amid new methods of dispute resolution in e-commerce. In light of this, HSF and ILS organized a two-day workshop to find potential legislative solutions in developing and regulating these new methods.
Around 70 legal experts, researchers, representatives of associations and scientists attended this hybrid workshop. At the first day. speakers from ILS introduced three stages of e-commerce dispute resolution’s development to participants including experimentation, entrepreneurship, and institutionalization. Dr. Nguyen Van Cuong, General Director, ILS analysed various factors in e-commerce conflicts such as access to product information, terms of transactions, risks and access to legal process.
Dr. Nguyen Van Cuong, General Director of ILS, spoke with participants about online arbitration and mediation
HSF
Dr. Cuong concluded that consumers are in a weaker position compared to e-commerce platforms. In day two, a representative from Ministry of Industry and Trade emphasized that there are still challenges and impediments to resolving conflicts in e-commerce, such as the fact that the process is cumbersome, drawn-out, and not yet fully implemented. The lack of a suitable legal framework for online arbitration or commercial mediation, the risk of information leakage, the possibility of being hacked, and high initial investment costs were among the issues that speakers and participants agreed upon. Legal experts at the workshop suggested creating a unified legal framework for network security and e-commerce; it is required to strengthen the law by include provisions for online arbitration; and it is necessary to finish the guidelines for electronic transactions. Overall, Important policy recommendations and understandings were produced by the workshop. These suggestions will be incorporated into future revisions of the Vietnam e-commerce law.
HSF is pleased to carry out the cooperative efforts with MoJ to support Vietnam in boosting the development of its legal system as part of the Rule of Law Dialogue between Germany and Vietnam.