As a member of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC), Vietnam vows to promote its role in an active and proactive manner to raise its position further in the region and the world as a whole.

The Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO will also work hard to seek UNESCO recognition for the Trang An scenic landscape complex and the Cat Ba archipelago as world natural heritage sites.

The national musical art “Don ca tai tu” has been recognised as intangible cultural heritage of humanity by the international organisation.

The commission will continue carrying out the green network initiative proposed by Vietnam, which aims to improve the management of biosphere reserves across ASEAN through dialogue exchanges.

It also plans to more effectively realise the memorandum of understanding on Vietnam-UNESCO cooperation in culture, education, science and information during the 2010-2015 period, as well as enhance the country’s involvement in the organisation’s activities for the 2013-2018 period.

Vietnam’s election to the WHC is a big success for the country’s political and diplomatic ambitions, opined the Secretary General of the Commission Pham Cao Phong at a conference held in Hanoi on January 10.

The year just gone marked a striking development in the relationship between Vietnam and UNESCO, with the visit by UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova to the country.

Vietnam also actively got involved in the UNESCO Executive Board sessions and the 37 th General Assembly, making effective contributions to education, culture, science and information in 2013, Phong added.-VNA