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.
𒀰 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 natural 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.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
The ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony is observed by the 10 ASEAN member countries on August 8 every year, aiming to spread and promote the ASEAN identity and affirm the determination to unite and cooperate for the common aspiration of long-term peace and prosperity of Southeast Asian countries under the common roof of the ASEAN Community.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong highlighted ASEAN’s nearly six decades of development, during which the region transformed from division to harmony, from confrontation to cooperation, and from poverty to dynamic growth, becoming a global bright spot for regional cooperation.