The 70th anniversary celebration of UNESCO at Thang Long Imperial Citadel.

UNESCO is an organization that is close to the people of Vietnam and has made many practical contributions to individual families, localities, and communities.

On the evening of November 23rd, to commemorate Vietnam's Cultural Heritage Day and the 5th anniversary of Thang Long Imperial Citadel being recognized by UNESCO as a "World Cultural Heritage Site," a ceremony celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was held at this historical site.

Attending the commemoration ceremony were Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh, Ms. Katherine Müller-Marin, Head of the UNESCO Office in Hanoi, Ms. Mechtild Rössler, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, along with many delegates from ministries, departments, localities of Vietnam and UNESCO officials.

Katherine Muller-Marin, Head of the UNESCO Representative Office in Hanoi, speaks at the ceremony. Photo: An Dang - VNA.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh affirmed that UNESCO is a highly prestigious organization with a large membership and many important contributions in its main areas of activity: culture, education, science, information, and communication. Essential issues of education such as literacy, education for all, lifelong learning, and the educational philosophy for sustainable development on the United Nations 2030 agenda all bear the strong imprint of UNESCO.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh stated that UNESCO is also an organization close to the Vietnamese people and has made many practical contributions to individual families, localities, and communities. Over the years, Vietnam has consistently strived to fulfill its obligations as a member state, effectively implementing initiatives and cooperation programs, making practical contributions to UNESCO's work, and undertaking important responsibilities within UNESCO's leadership and specialized bodies such as the Executive Board and the World Heritage Committee.

Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh emphasized: “As a nation with a tradition of loving peace, valuing education, and deeply rooted in the cultural identity inherited from our ancestors, the Vietnamese people quickly embraced the principles and objectives of UNESCO. Many of UNESCO's ideas coincide with the aspirations for life and progress of the Vietnamese people, as stated in President Ho Chi Minh's letter to the President of the United Nations General Assembly on January 14, 1946: 'The Vietnamese people are ready and willing to implement the noble provisions of the San Francisco Charter, the Charter of the United Nations.'"

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh presents the Third-Class Labor Order to the Thang Long - Hanoi Heritage Conservation Center. Photo: An Dang - VNA.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister, UNESCO's honoring of the distinguished figures Nguyen Trai, Nguyen Du, and President Ho Chi Minh once again affirms the foundation of faith in the strength stemming from intellectual patriotism and the values ​​of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty of the Vietnamese nation, embodied in its most outstanding individuals. Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh expressed hope that UNESCO will continue to lead in promoting a culture of peace, a spirit of tolerance, and the acceptance and respect for cultural differences.

Speaking at the commemoration ceremony, the Head of UNESCO's Delegation in Hanoi, Ms. Katherine Müller-Marin, also highlighted President Ho Chi Minh's emphasis on cultural diversity. She stated: “He paid particular attention to the relationship between culture, economics, and politics, and believed that culture must permeate every cell of society and touch every individual to awaken creative potential, and that ‘The highest purpose of learning is to become a person in the truest sense of the word.’”

She expressed her admiration for the Vietnamese people's love for preserving their ancestral traditions, their unwavering patriotism, as well as their yearning for peace, hard work, and respect for family.

The Head of UNESCO's Delegation in Hanoi expressed hope that the relationship between UNESCO and Vietnam would become increasingly strong and achieve great results.

Earlier, in a congratulatory message to Vietnam on the occasion of the 5th anniversary of Thang Long Imperial Citadel being recognized by UNESCO as a "World Cultural Heritage Site," UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova also pledged that the organization would continue to support Vietnam in its pursuit of sustainable development.

According to VOV.VN