Quang Ninh delegation attends 221st UNESCO Executive Board session in France

A delegation from Quang Ninh province, led by Vice Chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Thi Hanh, joined representatives from the two provinces of Bac Giang and Hai Duong attend the 221st Session of the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in France.

The Vietnamese delegation was headed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ngo Le Van and engaged in a series of high-level meetings on the sidelines of the session. Discussions were held with senior UNESCO officials, including Director-General Audrey Azoulay, Deputy Director-General Xing Qu, Assistant Director-General for Culture Ernesto Ottone, Director of the World Heritage Centre Lazare Eloundou Assomo, and ICOMOS Director-General Marie-Laure Lavenir, as well as ambassadors from member states of the World Heritage Committee.

At the meetings, Deputy Minister Ngo Le Van called for continued support from UNESCO, the World Heritage Committee, and ICOMOS in Vietnam’s heritage preservation efforts.  He specifically highlighted Vietnam’s proposal to have the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son Kiep Bac Complex of Monuments and Landscapes recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The nomination, led by Quang Ninh province in coordination with Bac Giang and Hai Duong, features 20 selected clusters and sites from a pool of more than 200 across the three provinces. The dossier has been submitted to UNESCO in accordance with procedural requirements and includes three rounds of additional reporting as requested by the World Heritage Centre and ICOMOS.

Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Hanh took the opportunity to present the outstanding universal value of the heritage complex. She underscored the significant cultural, spiritual, and historical importance of the site and emphasized the sustained commitment of provincial authorities to safeguarding and promoting these values.

She also expressed hope that UNESCO leaders and representatives from the World Heritage Committee would support Vietnam’s efforts and advocate for the site’s inclusion on the World Heritage List.

As part of the working agenda, the delegation also visited the Permanent Delegation of Vietnam to UNESCO. On behalf of the three provinces, Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Hanh expressed appreciation for the delegation’s support throughout the preparation of the nomination dossier. She voiced confidence that continued backing from the Permanent Delegation would be instrumental in securing successful recognition of the site.

The Vietnamese government has increasingly emphasized the importance of cultural diplomacy and global heritage cooperation, with the nomination of the Yen Tu complex seen as a significant step in furthering that agenda.