Workshop on Personal Data Protection
Workshop on "Sharing Experiences on the Development and Law Enforcement of Personal Data Protection"

Participants of the workshop are representatives of various governmental ministries, private sector and legal practioners

HSF

The workshop commenced with opening remarks from representatives of HSF and MOJ who underscored the significant benefits that digitization has brought to Vietnam, including economic growth and improved public services. However, the interconnected emergence of critical challenges like data breaches, cyberattacks, and mishandling of personal information affecting individuals and organizations nationwide have increased. Hence, the workshop on "Sharing Experiences on the Development and Enforcement of Personal Data Protection" is crucial, given the current legal regulations in this domain.

The workshop served as an enlightening platform for fostering exchanges among representatives from the Ministry of Justice, students from Hanoi Law University, and various national legal and industry experts. The presentation by the Institute of Legal Strategy and Science of MoJ on the EU's best practices and challenges in data protection inspired the creation of policy recommendations aimed at bridging regulatory gaps and aligning national regulations with international standards. These recommendations could be incorporated into Vietnam's inaugural data protection law. Following extensive discussions, a consensus was reached acknowledging that while Decree 13 represents a significant advancement in personal data protection in Vietnam, there is still confusion among legal practitioners and businesses regarding its implementation. Consequently, it was agreed that the government should provide guidance to enhance stakeholders' understanding of the decree, and a dedicated authority should be established to oversee the implementation process.

In concluding the workshop, speakers from the Ministry of Justice underscored the importance of global collaboration in establishing a new legal framework for data protection. The workshop is part of the bilateral Rule of Law Dialogue between Germany and Vietnam in which HSF is an implementing partner.