Vietnam elected to UNESCO Executive Board for 2021-2025 term

In Group 4 Asian and Pacific States, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Cook Islands and China also got elected to the Executive Board.

The UNESCO Executive Board is one of the three constitutional organs of the UN agency (the others being the General Conference and the Secretariat) and it is elected by the General Conference.

With 163 out of 178 approval votes, Vietnam not only became one of six countries representing Group 4 in the UNESCO Executive Council for the new term, it is also one of the countries that won the highest number of votes in this election. 

In an interview granted to VOV right after the election results were announced, Ambassador Le Thi Hong Van, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to UNESCO, the very high voting result is a reflection of the prestige that Vietnam has won at multilateral international forums over the years, from its role as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to its contributions to the UN in different roles at UNESCO.

“Vietnam has always earned plaudits from the UNESCO and its member countries as it is always one of the countries that most effectively implement UNESCO's cooperation programs. The nation has got plenty of experience from its participation in the UNESCO's bodies from previous terms. This will serve as a very good basis for Vietnam to go ahead with its participation as a way of raising the level of its contribution to the organization's activities as well as the international community in the coming time," said Le Thi Hong Van.

With the election results, Vietnam will also become a member of the UNESCO Executive Board for the fifth time, one of the two most important bodies of the organization.

The UNESCO Executive Board consists of 58 member, acting under the authority of the General Conference the Board examines the programme of work for the Organization and corresponding budget estimates submitted to it by the Director-General.

Executive Council members play an important role in devising UNESCO's strategies and action plans.

According to Mai Phan Dung, secretary general of the UNESCO Vietnam National Committee, with its prestige and experience, the country continue to assume the dual responsibility well with UNESCO and with the international community during the next term.

Regarding Vietnam's priorities as well as its contributions to the UNESCO in its new role, Mai Phan Dung said the nation will make its contributions to major issues, to the implementation of major action program that UNESCO plans to carry out in the near future.