Addressing the 221st session of the UNESCO Executive Board in Paris on April 7, Van emphasised that the world is undergoing a transformational era marked by many challenges and complexities regarding peace, security, and sustainable development. In this context, UNESCO’s mission of “building peace in the minds of men” has become more urgent than ever.

He recalled Vietnamese Party General Secretary To Lam’s viewpoints during his official visit to UNESCO in October 2024, saying Vietnam will continue to be a UNESCO reliable, responsible partner, proactively contributing to the programmes and common goals of the organisation.

He urged UNESCO to continue enhancing its leadership role in key areas of cooperation, namely education, culture, and science. He emphasised the importance of lifelong learning and said Vietnam views education as the key to realizing its aspirations for development in the new era.

The diplomat proposed that UNESCO further support countries in building comprehensive education systems, while sharing Vietnam’s policy of offering free education for public school students starting from the 2025-2026 school year, as a strong commitment to investing in education in the future.

Talking about culture, he proposed promoting intercultural dialogue, developing creative industries, and safeguarding cultural diversity. He also welcomed efforts to refine the legal framework for artificial intelligence, promote scientific diplomacy, and encourage further cooperation in science, technology, and governance of new technologies.

Van informed that the Vietnamese government had issued a resolution on breakthroughs in the development of science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation, considering this one of the most important strategic priorities.

During the session, Deputy Minister Van and leaders from a number of provinces of Vietnam held meetings with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, Deputy Director-General Xing Qu, Assistant Director-General for Culture Ernesto Ottone, and the heads of delegations of various countries to promote bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

Director-General Audrey Azoulay and other UNESCO leaders were impressed with the highly successful, substantive visit of General Secretary To Lam to the UNESCO headquarters last October, which elevated Vietnam-UNESCO relations to new heights.

Azoulay praised Vietnam as a model for comprehensive, substantive, and effective cooperation with UNESCO, affirming that the country is one of the most active members of the organisation.

The UNESCO leaders commended the close and effective cooperation between Vietnam and UNESCO over nearly half a century and recognised Vietnam’s substantial, responsible, and increasingly broad contributions to the organisation’s activities. They also noted Vietnam’s leadership in various key positions in UNESCO’s governing bodies.

UNESCO recognition ceremony for Ba Chua Xu Goddess Festival

VOV.VN - A ceremony was held on the evening of March 19 at the Sam Mountain National Tourist Area in Chau Doc City, An Giang province, to receive UNESCO’s certificate recognizing the Festival of the Ba Chua Xu Goddess at Sam Mountain as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and to kick off the 2025 festival.