UNESCO General Director Audrey Azoulay (L) receives Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung in Paris. (Photo: VNA) Paris (VNA) –Vietnam considers culture a driving force of socio-economic development,placing culture on par with economy and politics, Minister of Culture, Sportsand Tourism Nguyen Van Hung said on November 16 when meeting with UNESCO GeneralDirector Audrey Azoulay in Paris.
Speaking at the meeting,the Vietnamese minister said that in its action programmes, Vietnam alwaysdesigns a progressive cultural policy framework that meets citizens' rights toenjoy and participate in cultural life.
He informed the UNESCOleader that the Government of Vietnam assigned the ministry to soon completeand submit to the National Assembly for promulgation the National TargetProgramme on Vietnamese cultural development in the next 10 years with focuseson revitalising and developing culture as well as hunger eradication andpoverty reduction programmes to realise millennium goals.
Hung called on UNESCO and its GeneralDirector to support Vietnam in developing a draft law oncultural heritage – a move to complete the legal framework for culturalheritage in the country.
Based on the results of the UNESCO pilotproject on cultural index serving the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda forsustainable development at the national level and in Thua Thien-Hue province, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has developed theNational Cultural Index, which helps comprehensively assess the contribution ofculture to the sustainable development of the country. The ministry thankedUNESCO for supporting it in developing and implement the National CulturalIndex.
Hung also affirmed that asan active and responsible member of UNESCO, Vietnam is a candidate for the position ofmember of the World Heritage Committee for the 2023-2027 term. It is also amember of the Intergovernmental Committee on the Conventions on the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage 2003 and 2005.
Vietnam wishes to spread the message calling on all countries in the world,especially UNESCO member states, to join hands to keep preserving and promotingthe value of world heritage sites, he said.
The country is activelysupporting Laos in preparing a dossier seeking UNESCO recognition of Hin NamnoNational Park as a World Natural Heritage Site, he said, calling on UNESCO tosupport the two countries’ effort.
Audrey Azoulay hoped that Vietnamwill be the leading country in supporting culture to become a separatedevelopment goal in the UN Agenda after 2030.
Vietnam has 35titles recognised by UNESCO, including eight world cultural andnatural heritages, 15 intangible cultural heritages, three world documentaryheritages, six documentary heritages in the Asia-Pacific region, and threecreative cities./.
