UNESCO Director General: Ready to share with Vietnam strategic vision on culture to the world
On the afternoon of June 28, at the Government Headquarters, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on the occasion of her second official visit to Vietnam during her term.
The meeting not only demonstrated Vietnam's respect for the role of UNESCO, but also affirmed the comprehensive, substantive and increasingly effective cooperative relationship between the two sides over the past half century.
At the reception, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh warmly welcomed Ms. Audrey Azoulay back to Vietnam and expressed his recognition of her important contributions to UNESCO and human civilization during the past two terms.
The Prime Minister shared that in the theory of national development throughout 80 years of establishment and construction, besides Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, culture has always played a special role. As President Ho Chi Minh, the national liberation hero and outstanding cultural figure, assessed: "Culture lights the way for the nation to go", as long as culture exists, the nation exists.
The importance of culture and full and comprehensive cultural awareness: Culture is an endogenous resource, a spiritual foundation, connecting the past, present, and future, educating patriotism and the desire to contribute to the nation and people of young people, and is the driving force for national development for peace, cooperation, and development of humanity.
In the era of national development, Vietnam advocates promoting a culture imbued with national identity for more than 4,000 years, creatively applying it in the current Vietnamese and international context; promoting cultural institutions, developing cultural industries, and entertainment industries so that people can enjoy the added values of culture; promoting the nationalization of world civilization, and internationalizing the culture imbued with Vietnamese national identity to the world.
The Prime Minister expressed his delight at witnessing the increasingly strong and in-depth Vietnam-UNESCO relationship, the deepening of Vietnamese people's understanding of UNESCO; the 72 titles recognized by UNESCO as very important national brands contributing to the country's sustainable socio-economic development; and pledged that Vietnam has and will continue to make increasingly active and effective contributions, especially in its role at UNESCO's key management mechanisms. The Prime Minister thanked UNESCO, especially the Director-General herself, for her contributions to promoting the Vietnam-UNESCO partnership during the past two terms.
The Prime Minister also expressed his hope that UNESCO will continue to be a cultural companion and promote the core values of the Vietnamese people to the world; contribute to promoting the rich culture, elevating Vietnamese culture, building vision and action in building and developing culture; and support human resource training in this field.
The Prime Minister requested the Director General of UNESCO to continue to pay attention to and support the registration of the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiep Bac Monuments and Landscape Complex as a World Cultural Heritage at the World Heritage Committee meeting in July. This is a historical and cultural relic site that is "ancient, sacred, mysterious, containing an immortal spirit" associated with typical historical figures of the nation, with the core characteristics of the Truc Lam Yen Tu Buddhist school, promoting the values of peace, harmony, solidarity, and tolerance that still have a profound influence and popularity today.
The Prime Minister also requested UNESCO to continue supporting the preservation and promotion of the heritage value of Thang Long Imperial Citadel, including the restoration of Kinh Thien Palace and the main space of Kinh Thien Palace; registering the art of making Dong Ho folk paintings, supporting Hanoi to join the Global Learning Cities network, and Ho Chi Minh City to join the Global Creative Cities network.
At the reception, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay expressed her emotion and joy to return to Vietnam - an important and responsible partner in the UNESCO system. She thanked Vietnam for its support and cooperation in efforts to enhance the role and cooperation of UNESCO in the 21st century, especially in its role as a member of UNESCO's governing mechanisms.
The Director General expressed her admiration for the depth of culture and the civilization of more than 4,000 years of history of Vietnam; highly appreciated Vietnam's strategic vision on culture and was ready to join Vietnam in sharing this vision with the world so that culture has a more worthy position in the Agenda for Sustainable Development after 2030, contributing to the common effort to promote sustainable and inclusive development.
Ms. Audrey Azoulay affirmed that Vietnam is a model in preserving and promoting heritage values and UNESCO titles, from tangible and intangible heritage, to global geoparks, creative cities, learning cities... which are practical and effective models that can be shared with the world.
She affirmed that UNESCO has and will continue to accompany Vietnam in its efforts to build and develop culture, nationalize human civilization, preserve and promote traditional cultural values that contribute to human civilization. She pledged to support the dossiers the Prime Minister mentioned.
The Director-General also affirmed that UNESCO is ready to accompany Vietnam in its current reform and international integration efforts in the digital age, especially in training human resources in artificial intelligence (AI) with the participation of private partners.