[NEWS] VIETNAM PARTICIPATED IN THE 217TH EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING OF UNESCO

On October 9-10, in Paris, France, the Plenary opening session of the 217th Executive Board Meeting of UNESCO took place with the participation of 58 member states and over 100 observer countries.

Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nguyen Minh Vu, attended and delivered a speech at the opening session, as well as held meetings and discussions with UNESCO leadership and the heads of member states' delegations. 

The 217th Executive Board Meeting took place at a time when the world is facing numerous challenges and difficulties due to the complex and evolving global political situation, serious climate change, and new global concerns such as artificial intelligence. In this context, countries recognize the increasingly important role of UNESCO in maintaining peace and addressing global challenges through promoting multilateral cooperation in the fields of education, science, culture, information, and communication.

The Director-General of UNESCO presented the report for the 2022-2023 period and received high praise from many member states for the significant achievements UNESCO has made. These include the mission to promote cooperation and world peace, prioritize education, gender equality, the development of science and technology, and the ethics of science in general and artificial intelligence in particular, as well as activities supporting the protection of the natural environment and the preservation of biodiversity through programs such as ocean science, cultural and natural heritage, intangible cultural heritage, biosphere reserves, and global geoparks towards sustainable development.

In his speech at the opening session, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nguyen Minh Vu, emphasized the importance of multilateral cooperation in a world experiencing unpredictable changes and called for countries to continue promoting international cooperation, strengthening dialogue, building trust, and fostering unity in order to find collective solutions to the challenges of our time.

In light of the notable achievements UNESCO has made during the 2022-2023 period, the Vietnamese delegation highly appreciates the efforts of the UNESCO Director-General and Secretariat in developing and implementing programs and activities such as the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, the MONDIALCULT World Conference on Sustainable Development Policies, the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science... These initiatives contribute to supporting member countries in achieving the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Vietnam also welcomes UNESCO's humanitarian actions and support programs in areas under its jurisdiction for countries affected by crises or conflicts, such as Afghanistan, Haiti, Ukraine.

Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu affirms that Vietnam will continue to actively participate, shoulder responsibilities, and fulfill its international commitments to make substantial and effective contributions to UNESCO's shared work. Vietnam commits to successfully implementing the Memorandum of Cooperation between Vietnam and UNESCO for the 2021-2025 period.

On this occasion, Assistant Minister Nguyen Minh Vu held talks and meetings with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Assistant Director-General Xing Qu, Chair of the Executive Board Tamara Rastovic Siamas Vi, as well as leaders of departments and delegations from some countries to promote bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

During the meetings and discussions, UNESCO leaders and delegation heads highly appreciate the good cooperative relationship between Vietnam and UNESCO, as well as with other member countries. They recognize Vietnam's role and substantial contributions to key mechanisms of the organization, such as the Executive Board, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. They also congratulate Vietnam on having its first trans-provincial natural heritage site, Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba.

UNESCO leaders and the Secretariat affirm their continued support, advice, and endorsement for Vietnam's new heritage nominations, such as the Yen Tu-Vinh Nghiem-Con Son Heritage Complex, Kiep Bac, the Oc Eo-Ba The Archaeological Site, Con Moong, and intangible cultural heritage files such as the Sam Mountain Lady Xu Festival and the Dong Ho Folk Painting craft. They provide support for the conservation and promotion of the values of UNESCO-inscribed World Heritage sites, including the conservation, restoration, and enhancement project of the Thang Long Imperial Citadel in Hanoi. They also express their hope that Vietnam will successfully run for membership on the World Heritage Committee for the 2023-2027 term./.

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