Ahead of General Secretary and President To Lam's official visit and meeting with the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at the organization's headquarters in Paris on October 7, UNESCO Deputy Director-General Xing Qu told the Vietnam News Agency regarding the relationship between Vietnam and UNESCO.

UNESCO Deputy Director-General Xing Qu.

How do you assess Vietnam's efforts in enhancing its role as a member of key UNESCO mechanisms, its contributions to UNESCO's activities, and its involvement in advancing UNESCO's shared goals for global peace and sustainable development, especially as Vietnam continues to strengthen its "comprehensive, substantive, and effective" cooperation with UNESCO and shares successful experiences with other member states?

Since Vietnam joined UNESCO in 1976, the bilateral partnership has seen remarkable progress. Vietnam has been an active member from the start, supporting many of UNESCO’s initiatives and ratifying various conventions and recommendations of the organization.

In 1999, the establishment of UNESCO's office in Vietnam further strengthened this collaboration. The year 2024 marks the 25th anniversary of UNESCO's presence in the country, symbolizing a strong and productive partnership at the national level.

Vietnam has become a model of effective cooperation with UNESCO, continuously fostering this relationship. From a recipient of international aid two decades ago, Vietnam has evolved into an active member contributing significantly to UNESCO’s work. The country holds key roles within five major UNESCO bodies: Vice-President of the UNESCO General Assembly (since November 2023), a member of the UNESCO Executive Board (2021-2025), a member of the World Heritage Committee (2023-2027), a member of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (2022-2026), and Vice-President of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (2021-2025). Vietnam remains a trusted partner in proposing and implementing initiatives to strengthen UNESCO’s role and influence globally.

Vietnam has also led the way in placing culture at the heart of development. It has supported UNESCO’s pilot project on the Culture 2030 Indicators, which measures culture’s contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Moreover, Vietnam is among the strongest advocates for integrating culture as a standalone SDG in the post-2030 Global Development Agenda.

In its cooperation with UNESCO, Vietnam has broadened its network of international partners, learning from the successes of other member countries. UNESCO acknowledges Vietnam’s valuable experience in managing World Heritage sites, Global Geoparks, biosphere reserves, the Creative Cities Network, and its efforts in preserving intangible cultural heritage.

In the field of education, Vietnam has shown strong political commitment to achieving SDG 4—ensuring inclusive, equitable, and quality education for all. This commitment is evident in national resolutions and educational policies. Vietnam has made notable strides across various educational areas, from universal basic education to building a learning society that encourages lifelong learning. The country is also committed to transforming its education system and contributing to the global education movement.

UNESCO highly values Vietnam’s contributions at international forums. Vietnam has consistently shared and exchanged lessons on promoting UNESCO designations, as seen during the International Conference on Promoting UNESCO Designations for Sustainable Development in Vietnam (held in July 2023 in Ninh Binh).

Vietnam has also demonstrated its commitment to inclusive, quality education for all, notably through its National Statement on Education Transformation at the 2022 Education Transformation Summit in New York.

Most recently, during the 8th International Conference of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network for the Asia-Pacific region held in Cao Bang from September 8-15, Vietnam offered concrete recommendations for developing the network, such as raising global awareness, enhancing actions, sharing management experiences, and proposing the development of a 5-year and 10-year strategy for UNESCO’s Global Geoparks Network.

These contributions reflect the tangible results of Vietnam’s cooperation with UNESCO. UNESCO views Vietnam as a model for effective collaboration between the organization and its member states.

What key areas should be prioritized in the coming period to deepen the relationship between UNESCO and Vietnam and further strengthen it as a model of effective cooperation?

Since the implementation of the Renovation policy in 1986, Vietnam has achieved significant milestones, emerging as a middle-income country with a rapidly growing economy that not only expanded in scale but also improved in quality. UNESCO has accompanied and supported Vietnam during this transformation, expressing a desire to collaborate with Vietnam as a model member state in the coming years.

Confronted with challenges in the era of Industry 4.0—particularly those related to digital transformation, escalating climate change, unsustainable resource use, and inequality—there remains much work to be done to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on a global scale and within Vietnam. UNESCO will continue to work closely with Vietnam to meet national priorities.

Culturally, Vietnam is renowned for its diverse heritage and the esteemed values of its UNESCO-recognized cultural sites. We appreciate Vietnam's political commitment and strategic vision, but we also recognize the challenges the government and local communities may face amid rapid economic development. This growth can provide potential resources while also exerting pressure on the rational conservation of the nation's invaluable cultural assets.

It is crucial to enhance cooperative programs between Vietnam and UNESCO, particularly in implementing cultural conventions and mobilizing resources for the preservation of cultural heritage, while promoting local community participation and creativity in the cultural sector. Specifically, UNESCO will assist in refining national policies and regulations for cultural management to align with international frameworks, including UNESCO's cultural conventions and new global cultural goals (as outlined in the MONDIACULT 2022 Global Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development).

UNESCO is committed to providing Vietnam with resources and knowledge to update and implement cultural policies and legal frameworks. The organization will promote a series of leading projects and best practices in public-private partnerships, enhancing the autonomy of women and youth.

In education, UNESCO will strive to ensure equitable and quality education, fostering lifelong learning opportunities for all to reduce inequality and promote a learning and creative society, particularly in the digital age.

In the upcoming official visit of General Secretary and President of Vietnam To Lam to the UNESCO headquarters to meet with the Director-General, what key messages does UNESCO wish to convey during this occasion?

The official visit of General Secretary and President To Lam to UNESCO headquarters marks a historic milestone in the relationship between the two parties. We are delighted to welcome the highest-ranking leader of Vietnam, which reflects Vietnam's trust and expectations for UNESCO. This visit will serve as an opportunity to highlight the strong collaborative relationship between Vietnam and UNESCO and further promote this partnership in the coming years.

The cooperation between UNESCO and Vietnam is built on a solid foundation developed over decades, with a shared vision of fostering peace in people's minds. UNESCO hopes that Vietnam, having undergone a long recovery process post-war and established relationships with all countries, will continue to play a leading role within UNESCO, sharing its experiences with other member states and contributing to constructive dialogue in all of UNESCO's mechanisms. In the future, we look forward to enhancing the relationship between UNESCO and Vietnam across all areas under UNESCO's jurisdiction.

UNESCO is ready to support Vietnam in its candidacy for various organizational mechanisms, aiding in the strengthening of institutional capacity and human resources in managing natural resources, addressing challenges related to water security and climate change, and implementing UNESCO's recommendations on open science to promote science, technology, and innovation in support of sustainable national development through the International Hydrology Programme.

UNESCO appreciates Vietnam's strategic vision and policies that place culture at the center, viewing it as a key driver for sustainable development. We also commend Vietnam's efforts to protect the cultural diversity of its people and enhance their roles in policy-making and heritage management. This contributes to fostering public interest and investment in culture alongside economic and environmental sectors. UNESCO welcomes Vietnam's active support and contributions to UNESCO, emphasizing the importance of culture in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda.

The recent natural disaster (Typhoon No. 3) in Vietnam has caused significant loss of life and property. UNESCO stands ready to assist Vietnam in disaster prevention, response, and recovery efforts in the education sector, specifically in areas such as ensuring access to education in emergency situations, providing social counseling and mental support for teachers and students, enhancing capacity and preparedness for teaching staff and school leaders in disaster scenarios, and integrating disaster risk management and education for sustainable development into educational programs and plans.

UNESCO values the trust shown by Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training in its expertise in analyzing and planning education. We are pleased to have supported Vietnam in conducting a comprehensive analysis of the education sector from 2011 to 2020 and in developing the education development strategy for 2021-2030, acting as a funding agency for the Global Partnership for Education (GPE).

UNESCO recognizes Vietnam's need to implement its recommendations on Ethics in AI, enhance national capacities to forecast emerging social issues, and promote research and learning in the social sciences. The UNESCO Office in Hanoi has recently added a position focused on social science to strengthen collaboration between UNESCO and Vietnam in this field.

UNESCO appreciates Vietnam’s interest, particularly from the Ministry of Science and Technology and related agencies, in implementing tools to support the adoption of UNESCO's recommendations on AI Ethics. UNESCO will closely coordinate with the Ministry of Science and Technology and expert groups to conduct evaluations and provide useful recommendations for developing an ethical AI ecosystem and supporting the implementation of Vietnam's national AI strategy.

Thank you for your time!

Ngoc Mai

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