Vietnam has successfully finished its 3-year term at the UNESCO Executive Council.

The period has confirmed the sound strategy of the Party and State on global comprehensive integration, said Ambassador to UNESCO Duong Van Quang after the 37th session of the UNESCO General Assembly wrapped up on November 23 in Paris.

The ambassador highlighted key events from Vietnam’s council tenure, including its election to the 21-member World Heritage Committee (WHC) of UNESCO for the 2013-2017 tenure and the adoption of a resolution honouring Vietnamese poet Nguyen Du.

He said international friends highly valued Vietnam’s effective contributions to UNESCO over past years in wide-ranging fields, thus gaining high confidence from its members.

In addition to actively backing reform efforts carried out by UNESCO Director General Irina Bokava to enhance the organisation’s status and role, the country celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in Ninh Binh province in September 2012.

It also marked the 10th anniversary of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Quang Nam province this June.

Vietnam also played an active role in enhancing cooperative ties between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and UNESCO.

The ambassador stressed that Vietnam had got involved in all important agencies of UNESCO, helping raise the country’s position in the region.-VNA