Party chief calls for UNESCO's stronger support in heritage recognition

Vietnam is always an active, trusted partner, and supporter of UNESCO, making substantive contributions as a member of key executive agencies, including the World Heritage Centre, said Party General Secretary To Lam.

At a reception for Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the World Heritage Centre under the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Hanoi on May 20, the Party chief highlighted UNESCO’s role as the “intellectual home of humanity” in promoting multilateralism, maintaining peace and security, and advancing sustainable development in the world. He expressed his appreciation for nearly five decades of support and cooperation from UNESCO in Vietnam’s post-war recovery and current process of national construction and development.

Vietnam currently has 72 UNESCO-recognised titles nationwide, including eight world cultural and natural heritage sites. These distinctions are regarded as critical assets in fostering sustainable socio-economic development, enhancing local livelihoods, preserving cultural identity, and contributing to the global civilisation, he said.

General Secretary To Lam reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to further integration in the world politics, the global economy and the humanity civilisation. He underlined Vietnam’s desire to contribute more actively to regional and global peace, stability and development, while sharing its successful experiences with other countries and supporting UNESCO’s overarching mission in a proactive and responsible manner.

The Party leader urged UNESCO, the World Heritage Centre, and Assomo personally to continue supporting Vietnam in promoting its cultural heritage internationally and in safeguarding its recognised sites. Specifically, he called for assistance in accelerating the approval process for the restoration dossier of Kinh Thien Palace and its core spatial area within the Thang Long Imperial Citadel World Heritage Site. He also requested support for the nomination of Co Loa Citadel as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Party chief appealed for UNESCO’s endorsement of the proposed inscription of the Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son, Kiep Bac Relic and Scenic Complex on the World Heritage List, to be considered at the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris in July.

For his part, Assomo reaffirmed Vietnam’s role as an important, active, reliable and strategic partner of UNESCO with effective and practical contributions. He praised Vietnam as a model for effective collaboration in the field of heritage preservation and promotion, noting that its initiatives and cooperative practices could serve as valuable examples for other UNESCO member states.

Assomo expressed his admiration for Vietnam’s dynamic development and acknowledged the strong strategic direction provided by the Communist Party of Vietnam. He commended the nation’s recent policy focusing on institutional reform, education, culture, science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation, key pillars of its development strategy. These advancements, he said, provide a robust foundation for Vietnam’s continued contributions to cultural preservation in the world.

The official asserted UNESCO's support through technical guidance and close cooperation in the management and promotion of Vietnam’s world heritages. In his capacity, he committed to working closely with Vietnam to manage, preserve and promote the values of its eight UNESCO sites and to back the nomination of new ones, including the Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son, Kiep Bac Complex and Co Loa Citadel, in the near future.