The General Conference of UNESCO convened its 37th session at its headquarters in Paris on November 5 seeking to work out its action strategy for the next eight years.

Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son is expected to deliver a key speech at the plenary session on November 8 before representatives from 195 member states and eight associate members.

According to Vietnamese Ambassador to UNESCO Duong Van Quang, the session will also seek to make a concerted effort to fulfill the overall goals set at the Dakar Forum on “Education for All” by 2015.

As education is the key to changing the world and solving challenges posed by globalisation, many countries show their interests in how UNESCO will act to heighten education’s role, especially everyone’s access to education policies after 2015, Ambassador Quang said.

The session will discuss measures to ensure sustainable education development with regard to environmental protection and cultural preservation as well as the organisation’s budget programmes in the next four years (2014-2018).

It is also expected to confirm another four-year term for Irina Bokova as the organisation’s director general.

Within the event’s framework, the 19th session of the General Assembly of the State Parties to the World Heritage Convention will be held to review the document’s regulations and elect additional 12 members of the heritage inter-governmental committee, to which Vietnam is among 25 nominated.

As an active member, Vietnam hosted the Director General’s Consultation Meeting with National Commissions for UNESCO of the Asia-Pacific Region in the northern central province of Thanh Hoa in June last year in preparation for the 37 th UNESCO general conference.-VNA