Multilateral cultural diplomacy helps Việt Nam shine at UNESCO: official

Cultural diplomacy has contributed to promoting cultural values and the image of the country and people of Việt Nam.

2022 saw new successes of Việt Nam's cultural diplomacy, especially at a global multilateral organisation such as UNESCO, Ambassador Lê Thị Hồng Vân, head of the permanent delegation of Việt Nam to UNESCO, has said.

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency, Vân noted that the first official visit to Việt Nam by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay in September this year and the visit to UNESCO by Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính in November 2021 contributed to implementing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on cooperation for the 2021-2025 period and lifting the Vietnam-UNESCO relations to a new height.

The diplomat highlighted UNESCO has committed financial and technical support for Việt Nam in implementing the education development strategy for the 2021-2030 period, preserving and promoting heritage values, and developing sustainable cultural and tourism industries, responding to climate change, protecting biodiversity, and ensuring security of water sources for sustainable development.

She stressed that cultural diplomacy has contributed to promoting cultural values and the image of the country and people of Việt Nam, especially progressive and beautiful human views and worldviews of Việt Nam through spreading the ideological and character values of late President Hồ Chí Minh and prominent figures honoured by UNESCO such as poets Nguyễn Đình Chiểu and Hồ Xuân Hương.

Cultural diplomacy has also helped effectively mobilise UNESCO's knowledge, resources and assistance to preserve and promote the country's heritage values, thus supporting sustainable development for the people and localities, she said.

It is considered an important component of Việt Nam’s comprehensive and modern diplomacy, Vân added.

2022 also marks new milestones in promoting multilateral diplomacy of Việt Nam at UNESCO, the ambassador noted.

Việt Nam was elected to the Intergovernmental Committee of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage for the 2022-2026 term with the highest number of votes, affirming the international trust and support for Việt Nam's contribution and governance capacity at global multilateral institutions, she noted.

Its active and responsible contributions to promoting dialogue, cooperation and consensus, and finding satisfactory solutions to issues of common concern in the context of the complicated international situation were recognised and appreciated by leaders of UNESCO and countries, the diplomat added.

Việt Nam’s engagement and contribution at high levels to shaping global policy and strategic issues is another success of its cultural diplomacy at UNESCO, helping affirm Việt Nam's international position and prestige, Vân said.

The country has advantages in implementing its cultural diplomacy, she noted, affirming that the guidelines and policies of the Party and State on the role of culture and cultural development are comprehensive and clear, in line with the country's reality and the trend of the times.

Việt Nam needs to continue effectively implementing UNESCO's global initiatives on transforming education and culture in association with sustainable development, ethics in human's intelligence, open science, and sustainable management of water resources and oceans in the context of climate change to catch up with new global cooperation trends, improve legal frameworks and improve institutional and human capacity, the ambassador said.

She also underlined the necessity for Việt Nam to proactively introduce policies, share good experiences and examples, and support other developing countries in improving their capacity in terms of culture, science and education.