Project Technical Series of Publications supports the strengthening of representative bodies in Vietnam

May 12, 2005. During the year 2005 an important list of publications supporting the strengthening of representative bodies in Vietnam will see the light. The first title to be published will be the Parliamentary Institutions: Basic Concepts and it will be ready in the coming month of June.

The list of publications planned for this year are:

• Parliamentary Institutions: Basic Concepts
  In Vietnamese and English

• Engaging Parliaments in the Millennium Development Goals
  In Vietnamese and English

• Legislatures in Pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals: A Key Part of National MDG Strategies
  In English

• Manual for Local Elected Leadership
  Translated and adapted from the UN - HABITAT Training for Elected Leadership Series of Handbooks
  In Vietnamese

• Policy and Management for People's Councils Deputies
  In Vietnamese

• Anti-corruption efforts and the work of Parliaments: Good International Practices
  In Vietnamese and English

• Gender Mainstreaming in the work of Parliaments: Good International Practices
  In Vietnamese and English

The series will have three main components:

• Parliamentary Affairs
• People’s Councils
• Governance

All the publications and selected materials will be first published electronically and afterwards in hard-print copies to ensure wider distribution among Vietnamese MPs, People’s Councils Deputies and staff of the parliament and PCs around the country. Libraries of Vietnamese universities and research institutions will also benefit from this initiative. The series has been conceived also as an important contribution to the development of an Electronic Library within the National Assembly of Vietnam.

The Project Technical Series of Publications of being produced in common agreement between UNDP Vietnam and the Office of the National Assembly of Vietnam, with active support from support from SDC and DfID. The Series Editors are Dr. Nguyen Si Dung (Deputy General-Secretary of the National Assembly) and Dr. Lenni Montiel (UNDP Governance Senior Technical Adviser). The overall process of production in the Vietnamese language is under supervision of Dr. Si Dung as well.

The long and detailed process of editorial management is supervised by Lenni Montiel and conducted on a day-to-day basis by the Project Communication Specialist Truong Phan Viet Thang. Contributions to the process of shaping the editorial standards have been made by Dang Huu Cuu (UNDP Public Affairs Associate).  In terms of the concept of the series contributions have also been made by Shane Sheils (UNDP Governance PO) and Jonas Lovkrona (UNDP Governance Head Cluster).

The production of the series is also a result of a team work that includes Phung Van Hung (Deputy Director of the Center for Information, Library and Research Services at the Office of the National Assembly and at the same time VIE/02/007 Deputy National Project Director), Pham Thi Bich Ngoc (Project Manager), Nguyen Thu Nhan (Project Assistant) and Nguyen Thi Thu Huong (Accountant and Procurement).

We hope that the English version of these publications will also be a relevant reference for other countries in the Asia-Pacific region (or globally!) that are conducting initiatives to improve the organization and functioning of their parliaments and elected representative bodies at sub-national levels. Any comments and suggestions will be highly appreciated and can be addressed to lenni.montiel@undp.org