Vietnam will continue to support reform efforts initiated by the
Director General of UNESCO with the aim to help the organisation
overcome current difficulties and enhance its efficiency and position.
Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son
made the commitment at the 192nd session of the UN Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s Executive Board on September 30
in Paris.
Deputy FM Son, who is also President
of the National Vietnam Commission for UNESCO, made it clear that
Vietnam applauds UNESCO’s decision to continue giving priority to the
two initiatives – Education for All (EFA) and Education for Sustainable
Development (ESD).
On its part, Vietnam has
recorded a number of achievement in implementing EFA and ESD, and is
ready to share its experience with other member countries, Son said.
He noted that the tripartite cooperation model under the ESD
initiative involving UNESCO, the Ministry of Education and Training of
Vietnam and Samsung has proved its effectiveness, contributing to
enhancing students’ awareness of environmental protection.
At the same time, the diplomat underscored that UNESCO conferment of
tangible and intangible cultural heritage titles has made positive
impacts on raising people’s awareness of preserving and promoting the
heritage’s value.
He reported that on the occasion
of the 10th anniversary of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention for the
Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in June this year,
Vietnam organised the Quang Nam Heritage Festival with the
participation of ASEAN member countries, realising its high-level
commitments to popularising the convention among localities.
Son added that in December this year, Vietnam will host a
Vietnam-ASEAN UNESCO Heritage Festival in the Central Highlands
province of Lam Dong to honour tangible and intangible heritages of
ASEAN member countries.
In the field of science and
technology, the diplomat said Vietnam values UNESCO’s programmes and
initiatives, including those on Man and Biosphere (MAB), Memory of the
World (MOW) and Global Geopark Network.
The 192nd session of the UNESCO Executive Board session will run from September 24 to October 11.
During discussions, members of the UNESCO Executive Board agreed that
the organisation has maintained its prestige and position among all
member countries.
The effective reform programme
initiated by Director-General Irina Bokova also received support by
UNESCO members, who affirmed their determination to speed up the reform
in the future, optimising the achievements that the organisation has
gained over the past years.
Before the session
convened, UNESCO Director-General Bokova host a reception for Deputy FM
Son, during which the leader said she and members of the Executive Board
recognise Vietnam’s positive and constructive contributions to U
NESC O’s operations over the past years.
Vietnam, with various cultural heritages, deserves to be a pillar in the
ASEAN, she said, adding that the first Vietnam-ASEAN UNESCO Heritage
Festival to be hosted by Vietnam is an important event contributing
to strengthen ASEAN connectivity, especially in the field of cultural
heritage.
Bokova also voiced her hope that Vietnam
will further promote its role in conserving natural, tangible and
intangible heritages to match its status as well as the trust of
international friends.-VNA