Vietnam attends 47th session of UNESCO World Heritage Committee
UNESCO was founded on November 16, 1945, and Vietnam officially became a member of the organisation in July 1976, marking one of the country’s important steps in the process of global integration.
The 47th session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee opens in Paris on July 6 (Photo: VNA)
Paris (VNA) – A Vietnamese delegation, including Standing Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu and Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong, is attending the 47th session of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee in Paris from July 6 to 16.
This session, chaired by Bulgaria, holds special significance as the World Heritage Committee will consider the nomination of around 30 new heritage pieces for inscription on the World Heritage List and the extension of two existing ones. Several Vietnamese heritage elements have also been nominated in this session.
Over the 10 working days, the 21 member countries of the committee are expected to decide which sites will be added to the World Heritage List and adopt a number of important decisions related to the conservation and management of existing heritage currently under threat.
One of the key focuses of the session is to assess the conservation status of 248 recognised heritage pieces, including those already on the List of World Heritage in Danger. In addition, the session will introduce necessary measures to protect these from negative impacts of climate change, human activities, and other factors.
The Vietnamese delegation attends the session (Photo: VNA)
In addition to the official sittings, the 47th session also features numerous important side events aimed at promoting understanding and international cooperation in the field of heritage conservation.
UNESCO was founded on November 16, 1945, and Vietnam officially became a member of the organisation in July 1976, marking one of the country’s important steps in the process of global integration.
The UNESCO World Heritage Convention is one of the most widely accepted international conservation treaties, currently ratified by 196 countries. The World Heritage Committee is one of the two governing bodies of the Convention concerning the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage. It is also one of UNESCO’s key♐ governing bodies, with the authority to make crucial decisions related to the recognition of world cultural and natur✱al heritage; to review and assess the conservation status of World Heritage sites worldwide; and to decide on policies, budgets, and development orientations of the World Heritage Convention./.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son affirmed that Vietnam always attaches importance to multilateral cooperation and the role of UNESCO while receiving UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay in Hanoi on June 28.
UNESCO Director-General Azoulay’s visit to Vietnam is expected to mark a new milestone, further deepening the comprehensive and effective partnership between the two sides, contributing to global peace and sustainable development, enhancing Vietnam’s international standing, and advancing Vietnam into a new era of the nation's rise./.
Vietnam has been re-elected for a second consecutive term (2021–2025, 2025–2029) as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee of the 2005 UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
Deputy Minister of National Defence Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien has emphasised that over the past 60 years of development, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) have grown steadily and expanded international cooperation, including practical and effective collaboration with the Vietnam People's Army.
Without trust, it would be difficult to have the substantive relationship the two countries have today, and trust has been developed and built on the determination to overcome and solve war legacies.
At this one-day meeting, the NA Standing Committee is scheduled to give opinions on eight major items, including an initial discussion on a thematic supervision report on the implementation of policies and laws related to human resource development, especially high-quality personnel, which are deemed essential for sustainable economic growth in Vietnam's new development phase.
PM Chinh said that after three years of implementing Resolution 18-NQ/TW on continuing to innovate and perfect institutions and policies, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of land management and use, and one year of enforcing the 2024 Land Law, the legal policies on land have been carried out synchronously, achieving positive results.
Mozambican Prime Minister Maria Benvinda Delfina Levi has emphasised the special ties between Mozambique and Vietnam, noting their shared views and complementary socio-economic similarities.
Russia, China, Laos, Cambodia, and Belarus have been invited to join a parade during the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19, 1945) and National Day (September 2).
Highlighting the core values that have contributed to the success of ASEAN, including unity and mutual respect, Son affirmed that in the current period of instability, the bloc’s unity and centrality, along with strong commitments to inclusive and sustainable development, continue to serve as guiding principles for the ASEAN Community.
The spirit of family unity, community solidarity and close neighbourliness, along with the solid foundation of dialogue, diplomacy and respect for international law, has made ASEAN successful over the past decades.
Deputy PM Nguyen Chi Dung expressed his hope that Lao leaders would continue to guide relevant agencies in coordinating closely with their Vietnamese counterparts to effectively carry out assigned tasks.
The two sides briefed updates on the situation in each country, reviewed bilateral cooperation in recent time, and discussed specific directions and measures to further strengthen the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries in the time to come.
The two sides spoke highly of the continuously strengthened Vietnam–France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, particularly through recent high-level delegation exchanges. They pledged to further foster parliamentary cooperation, highlighting the active contributions of the two countries’ friendship parliamentary groups to fostering the bilateral relations.
The officials agreed on the need to effectively implement the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), remove technical barriers, and open markets to each other’s key export items such as agro-forestry-fishery products, apparel, footwear, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals, in order to boost bilateral trade and ensure a more balanced trade structure.
Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha held a meeting with US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper and a delegation from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Hanoi on July 9.
Vietnam's removal of intermediary and district-level units, restructuring of ministries and agencies, organisation of a two-tier local government model, clear delegation of authority to the grassroots level, and shift from pre- to post-audit mechanisms aim to enhance efficiency and better serve the public.
The visit brought concrete benefits not just in diplomatic and economic terms, but also in reinforcing mutual understanding, expanding Vietnam’s global footprint, and building new bridges between continents - firmly positioning Vietnam as a proactive contributor to peace, cooperation, and sustainable development in the region and beyond.
The two sides noted that cooperation between the two Foreign Ministries has become increasingly close and trustworthy in recent times. Based on their 2021–2025 cooperation agreement, both sides have maintained regular political consultation mechanisms, thereby laying a solid foundation for improving the effectiveness of economic diplomacy in each country.
