MOCST’s Minister Nguyen Van Hung at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France (Photo: toquoc.vn)

At the meeting, MOCST’s Minister Nguyen Van Hung shared that the Vietnamese State's approach to cultural development is similar to the spirit of the Declaration of UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development (Mondiacult 2022). Thereby, Vietnam considers culture to be the driving force of socio-economic development, placing culture on par with economics and politics. In its action programmes, the Government of Vietnam designs a progressive cultural policy framework that meets citizens' rights to enjoy and participate in cultural life.

MOCST’s Minister Nguyen Van Hung having a meeting with Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO (Photo: toquoc.vn)

Since September 2022, when Vietnam was honoured to welcome the Director General of UNESCO to attend the 50th Anniversary of the Convention on World Cultural and Natural Heritage held in Ninh Binh Province, there have been many results in cultural development. Vietnam has been recognized by UNESCO as a new world natural heritage site (Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba archipelago), 01 element in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (Art of pottery-making of Chăm people), 02 Documentary Heritage items of the Asia-Pacific region (Ma Nhai (Inscriptions) on the Marble Mountains, Da Nang, and Sino-Nom Documents in Truong Luu Village, Ha Tinh Province (1689-1943), and on 31st October, Ms. Audrey Azoulay signed a decision to recognize Da Lat and Hoi An as UNESCO creative cities, bringing the total number of titles recognized by UNESCO in the fields managed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to 35 (08 world cultural and natural heritage sites, 15 intangible cultural heritage elements, 03 world documentary heritage items, 06 documentary heritage items in the Asia-Pacific region, 03 Creative City titles).

In 2023, Vietnam also successfully organised a series of activities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the 2003 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Phu Tho Province and a number of relevant localities, thereby honouring the intangible cultural heritage values recognized by UNESCO, strengthening the conservation and promotion of the value of these heritage properties in Vietnam.

To further strengthen Vietnam-UNESCO cooperation in the near future, affirming Vietnam's contribution to the implementation of the United Nations' sustainable development goals, MOCST’s Minister Nguyen Van Hung proposed Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO to support Vietnam on sharing experience, international experts, updating relevant guidelines and regulations of UNESCO in the process of preparing and developing the Draft Law on Cultural Heritage to continue to improve the legal basis for cultural heritage in Vietnam.

MOCST’s Minister Nguyen Van Hung and Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO taking souvenir photo (Photo: toquoc.vn)

As an active and responsible member of UNESCO, as well as a candidate for the position of member of the World Heritage Committee for the 2023-2027 term, as well as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee of Convention 2003, 2005, Vietnam wishes to spread the message and call on all countries in the world, especially members of the UNESCO, to join hands to continue to strongly promote the conservation and promotion of the value of world heritage properties on a global scale, contributing to preserving and spreading these extremely valuable cultural treasures to future generations. Vietnam is currently actively supporting Laos to build the Hin NamnoDocument to become a World Natural Heritage and hopes that UNESCO will support this effort of the two countries.

Additionally, MOCST’s Minister Nguyen Van Hung hopes that UNESCO is interested in receiving Vietnamese officials to work at UNESCO's specialised agencies, thereby contributing to improving the qualifications and capacity of Vietnam's professional staff, affirming Vietnam's contributions for UNESCO.

Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director General of UNESCO said, the presence of MOCST’s Minister Nguyen Van Hung at UNESCO demonstrates Vietnam's strong attachment and commitment to UNESCO's goals. During her visit to Vietnam, she witnessed important Vietnamese values contributing to the UNESCO cause. It was a memorable business trip when she saw firsthand Vietnam's world cultural and natural heritage and the wealth of intangible cultural heritage treasures, stated Director General of UNESCO. She was impressed with the National Target Programme on cultural development that the Minister shared, and expressed her interest and willingness to accompany Vietnam in the process of amending the Cultural Heritage Law. She hopes that Vietnam will be the leading country in supporting culture to become a separate development goal in the United Nations Agenda after 2030. She wishes Vietnam success in this World Heritage Committee meeting and hopes that Vietnam would increasingly play a more active role in UNESCO's activities in the coming time.

Tourism Information Technology Center