On May 8, 2018, the Prime Minister issued Decision No.22/2018/QD-TTg on the formulation and implementation of social conventions. The Decision took effect since July 1, 2018.

Accordingly, Decision No.22/2018/QD-TTg issued some important points as follows:

1. Clearly stipulating the treatment of violation conventions (illegal contents contrary to social morality, customs and practices on marriage and family applied in localities which approved by the People’s Council of the provincial-level or other good customs and practices in accordance with the provisions of law or in violation of regulations on voting and approval of social conventions. Accordingly, the violation conventions will be dealt with by the form of suspension, abolition. The competence, grounds and time limit for the settlement of the rural convention or violation convention are clearly stated in this Decision.
2. The implementing agencies shall assume the prime responsibility and guide the performance of the tasks of elaborating and implementing social conventions assigned to the Ministry and the Culture, Sports and Tourism Ministry. The Judicial Ministry and the Branch shall have to coordinate in examining and proposing the handling of violation conventions because they contain contents contrary to law, infringe upon human rights and citizenship.
3. To set funds for the performance of tasks of formulating and implementing the social conventions along the direction that the state budget shall cover state management activities; the population communities shall self-finance the construction and implementation of the social conventions; encouraging the support, contribution of funds and other necessary conditions in the elaboration and implementation of the social conventions.

Through specific and detailed regulations, Decision No.22/2018/QD-TTg has recognized the legality of a form of law commonly used in many localities, thereby improving the law observance of all citizens, supporting state agencies in dealing with cases that do not have legal documents to adjust.