Vietnam pledges to continue contributing to UNESCO’s common affairs

The Vietnamese delegation to the 219th session of the UNESCO’s Executive Board.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc attended the 219th session of the UNESCO’s Executive Board in Paris on March 18 and 19, during which the Vietnamese representative affirmed that Vietnam always highly evaluates multilateral cooperation and UNESCO’s role, and pledges to continue to make active and positive contributions to the organisation’s common affairs.

Ngoc, who is also Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, held that the world is now at a difficult time with many intertwined challenges such as the climate and environmental crisis, the booming of artificial intelligence (AI), increasing inequality, violence and armed conflicts, affecting all aspects of social life.

In that context, multilateralism and international cooperation based on openness, equality, and mutual benefit, as well as UNESCO's mission to promote peace through dialogue, mutual understanding, and its pioneering role in strengthening global cooperation in education - training, culture, heritage, science - technology, information - communication are becoming important than ever, he stressed.

The Vietnamese representative hailed the efforts of the UNESCO Director-General and Secretariat as well as the organisation's members in promoting interdisciplinary and multi-sector approaches, persifying resources, and expanding the global partnership network to further strengthen the role and effectiveness of the organisation.

Ngoc proposed UNESCO and its Executive Board continue implementing initiatives, programmes and activities to realise the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) No. 4 on ensuring equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, while strengthening the efficiency of the Global Network of Learning Cities, UNESCO Associated Schools Network and UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc addresses the 219th session of the UNESCO’s Executive Board. (Photo: VNA)

Meanwhile, it is necessary to associate culture and heritage with sustainable development, promote open science and ethics in artificial intelligence, strengthen biopersity conservation, water security, ocean governance and climate change response, contribute to the UN Summit of the Future (slated for September), and support member countries in implementing the SDGs, he suggested.

On this occasion, Ngoc had working sessions with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Deputy Director-General Xing Qu, President of the UNESCO Executive Board Vera Khoury Lacoeuilhe, President of the UNESCO General Conference Simona-Mirela Miculescu, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Priority Africa and External Relations Anthony Ohemeng-Boamah, and UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences Lida Brito, as well as heads of delegations from some member countries to promote bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

Ngoc also worked with Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre Lazare Assomo, ICOMOS World Heritage Advisory and Monitoring Unit Director Regina Durighello to discuss the enhancement of cooperation in protecting and promoting the values of world heritages in Vietnam.

At the working sessions, the UNESCO leaders and heads of delegations of countries highly valued the sound cooperation between Vietnam and UNESCO and other member countries, as well as Vietnam’s important and effective contributions to the common affairs of the organisation in its capacity as a member of five key management mechanisms of the organisation.

They underlined that Vietnam is a model for harmony between preservation and promotion of heritages in association with promoting tourism development, economic growth and people’s livelihoods.

Ngoc expressed his hope that the UNESCO leaders and the UNESCO Secretariat provide consultancy and support Vietnam’s new heritage dossiers such as those of the Yen Tu - Con Son - Kiep Bac landscape and relic complex, Oc Eo - Ba The archaeological site, Con Moong cave, and intangible cultural heritages such as Festival of Ba Chua Xu Goddess at Sam Mountain, Dong Ho folk painting art, and Lang Son global geopark.

Vietnam also hopes to receive support in preserving and promoting the value of UNESCO-recognised world heritage sites, including the project to preserve, restore and promote the value of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long – Hanoi, Ngoc said.

The leaders of UNESCO and ICOMOS vowed to support Vietnam in building and promoting heritage dossiers proposed by the Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO.

Ngoc also took this occasion to invite and convey invitations to the UNESCO leaders to visit Vietnam for the celebrations of 10 years since Trang An Landscape Complex was recognised as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site (April), the Festival for Peace 2024 (July), and the 8th Asia Pacific Geoparks Network Symposium (September)./.