Vietnam highlighted as responsible member of UNESCO
VOV.VN - Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Audrey Azoulay praised Vietnam as a responsible member and one of the pioneering countries in carrying out UNESCO programmes and activities during a recent meeting with Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son in Paris.
The UNESCO leader applauded the nation’s tremendous and effective contributions to the common work of the organisation as a member of the UNESCO Executive Board for the 2021-2025 tenure, the Vice Chair of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, and a member of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Vietnam is a successful model in the connection of economic development and culture, she added.
In response, the Vietnamese diplomat affirmed the important role that UNESCO plays in maintaining and promoting peace, sustainable development and prosperity of nations over the past 80 years, and showed his elation at the growing partnership between Vietnam and the organisation.
He affirmed that Vietnam’s readiness to continue to actively become involved in UNESCO's activities and realize its international commitments. In this spirit, Vietnam will run for a seat at the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for the 2023-2027 tenure to work hand in hand with other nations in revising policies and accelerating measures to protect the world's cultural and natural heritage, he said, expressing hope to receive support from UNESCO.
FMSon asked the UNESCO Director-General to provide continued support for Vietnam during the country’s international integration and development process, including the provision of resources for the implementation of the memorandum of understanding on cooperation between Vietnam and UNESCO in the 2021-2025 period.
Vietnam desires to receive policy consultations and experience sharing from the organisation to assist the country in socio-economic recovery and development, he stated, suggesting that UNESCO consider the enhancement of cooperation with Vietnam in education, sustainable development, climate change response, basic science, sustainable management of water resources, marine scientific research, and conservation and promotion of heritage values.
Son said he hopes Azoulay and the UNESCO Secretariat will support Vietnam’s dossiers to seek recognition for new heritages such as Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba archipelago, Yen Tu-Con Son-Kiep Bac relic and landscape complex, Oc Eo - Ba The and Con Moong archaeological sites as well as dossiers for intangible heritages such as the festival honouring the holy lady of Mount Sam, and Dong Ho folk painting.
Vietnam also wishes to receive assistance in preserving and promoting the values of UNESCO-recognised world heritage sites, including the Thang Long Imperial Citadel.
The UNESCO leader agreed with Son's proposals on cooperation orientations in the coming time, while stating that that his organization will continue to support Vietnam in areas of education, culture, science and information-communications, while assisting the country in preserving and promoting the heritage values as well as sustainably developing biosphere reserves in Vietnam.
UNESCO will also assist Vietnam in building dossiers of new heritages as well as preserving UNESCO-recognised heritages, including the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, she pledged.
FM Son used the occasion to invite UNESCO leaders to attend the international conference on preserving and promoting the values of UNESCO titles for sustainable development in Vietnam, which is set to take place in July in the northern province of Ninh Binh. Azoulay said that she will dispatch one of her assistants to join the event.