A conference on the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention and sustainable development in par with human and ecosystem programme took place in the northern province of Ninh Binh on September 11.

The conference, coorganised by the UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre and the Vietnam UNESCO National Committee, aimed to encourage the Convention member countries to take long-term plans to preserve and develop heritage values, in association with the protection of the ecosystem.

Participants at the conference agreed that the preservation of the world’s natural and cultural heritages need to be carried out regularly and continuously, particularly in the context that the risk from global climate change is becoming serious and unexpected.
They stressed that in order to achieve sustainable development, the member countries are required to design master plans and set up a system to supervise the process of socio-economic construction and development, to avoid negative impacts on the heritages.

They also highlighted the need for effective measures to balance the heritage preservation and the economic development as well as tourist attraction.

Addressing the conference, Pham Cao Phong, Secretary General of the Vietnam UNESCO National Committee assessed that during the past 25 years, ministries, sectors, local governments and related agencies of Vietnam have effectively implemented the Convention.

Many policies related to the field have been applied widely and deeply, contributing to promoting the image of UNESCO as well as protecting the country’s quintessence to transfer to younger generations.

On the occasion, the Committee floated a proposal to establish a network to supervise, preserve and develop world heritages in Southeast Asia, aiming to raise public awareness and responsibility towards the heritages, encouraging them protect the environment, thus developing the tourism economy in a sustainable manner./.