International seminar “Public service ethics and integrity in inspection”

The seminar was co-chaired by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luong Thanh Cuong, Vice President of APAG; Ms. Marion Pujau-Bosq, Deputy General Inspector of Administration of France; and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tran Dieu Oanh, Dean of the Faculty of Law.

Participants included Ms. Tran Lan Huong, representative of the Embassy of France in Viet Nam; leaders of APAG units; staff, lecturers, and students.

The seminar aimed to exchange insights on the core values of public service ethics in the current context, from the requirements of transparency and accountability to mechanisms ensuring the integrity of the administrative inspection workforce. The French expert shared practical experiences related to professional standards, management of conflicts of interest, and principles ensuring independence and objectivity within the inspection system.

In his opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luong Thanh Cuong emphasized that public service ethics and integrity are the foundations for building a modern and professional administration. He affirmed that APAG always attaches great importance to updating international experiences, especially advanced models such as those of the French Republic, to serve research and training for Vietnamese cadres and civil servants. He expressed his hope that the seminar would offer valuable insights and promote deeper cooperation between agencies of the two countries.

Ms. Tran Lan Huong, representative of the Embassy of France in Viet Nam, highly appreciated APAG’s role in training and developing human resources for public administration. She also emphasized the importance of establishing a strong integrity framework in inspection to ensure public trust and enhance the quality of national governance.

In her presentation at the seminar, Ms. Marion Pujau-Bosq shared the core values of public service ethics, including continuity, integrity, compliance with the law, fairness, loyalty, and respect, which are legal principles that are mandatory for all cadres and civil servants. She emphasized that, alongside legitimate rights such as freedom of opinion, legal protection, and professional development, each individual must also uphold integrity, maintain professional confidentiality, ensure transparency, and take responsibility for accountability. In the field of inspection, these principles must be strictly observed: inspection teams must avoid conflicts of interest and combine appropriate experience with professional expertise; inspectors must conduct objective investigations, gather sufficient evidence, and refrain from expressing personal emotions or bias. The IGA’s Code of Ethics serves as a binding legal framework requiring inspectors to act with independence, honesty, fairness, and prudence in all activities. Each inspector is required to sign a commitment to comply with the code, declare personal interests, and is supported by a professional advisory system to ensure transparency in performing their duties.

The seminar featured discussions among participants on issues related to public service ethics, integrity, and international experiences in inspection work.

In his closing remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Luong Thanh Cuong affirmed that the discussions at the seminar not only helped enhance awareness of public service ethics and integrity in inspection but also opened new directions for cooperation in research, training, and international experience-sharing between APAG and its foreign partners. Learning from the French model will contribute to improving policies, training programs, and the professional capacity of Viet Nam’s public service workforce.