Closely follow UNESCO's recommendations to preserve and promote heritage values

VHO - At the recent 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee (UNESCO), many heritages of Vietnam continued to be honored. Returning after the Session, Associate Professor, Dr. Le Thi Thu Hien, Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage, shared with Van Hoa about the advantages and difficulties in the process of building and protecting dossiers; measures to preserve and promote heritage to bring opportunities and development potential in the new era.

Dong Pagoda belongs to Yen Tu relic and scenic spot

Ms. Hien said:

- First of all, it must be affirmed that this is a prominent event of the Culture, Sports and Tourism sector in 2025, making an important contribution to the country's cultural development, promoting the economic and social development of localities with heritage, and at the same time contributing to strengthening the special relationship between Vietnam and Laos. It can be said that the preparation of the dossier for nomination of world heritage is a long-term research process with many difficulties.

For the Yen Tu, Vinh Nghiem, Con Son - Kiep Bac relic and scenic complex, UNESCO's requirements for the dossier are increasingly difficult and strict, and ICOMOS's on-site verification of authenticity is extremely strict. For the nomination dossiers of Hin Nam No National Park and Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism found it necessary to unify the names of the nominated heritages before the World Heritage Committee recognized them as world heritages.

In addition, the determination of the outstanding global value of Hin Nam No National Park must be consistent with the outstanding global value of the World Natural Heritage Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, to ensure the integrity of the nominated heritage...

However, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism identified the most difficult, complicated and sensitive issues related to the border and national sovereignty (because the eastern boundary of Hin Nam No National Park has a core zone adjacent to the core zone and buffer zone of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and coincides with the Vietnam - Laos national border). Therefore, the maps shown in the nomination dossier and information related to the border must ensure the consensus of Vietnam and Laos.

By proactively identifying the difficulties and obstacles that will be encountered, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has determined that the principle in coordination work must absolutely ensure territorial sovereignty; ensure that outstanding global values are not changed, information and data are not distorted, and that management, protection and promotion of the value of the World Natural Heritage Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, which was recognized by UNESCO in 2003 and 2015, are not affected.

Reporter: Madam, it is known that the work of building heritage dossiers recognized by UNESCO in recent times has always received attention and close direction from the General Secretary and Prime Minister?

- Over the years, the Party and the State have always paid attention to the work of protecting, restoring, embellishing, and building dossiers to propose UNESCO to honor heritages. Reality shows that world heritages in Vietnam are increasingly affirming their position and role, contributing to the cause of cultural, socio-economic development, and environmental protection in a sustainable manner.

And the same was true of the process of building nomination dossiers and protecting world heritage dossiers at the recent 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee. The General Secretary and the Prime Minister paid special attention and directed to achieve success in having the country's world heritages recognized by UNESCO.

In which, General Secretary To Lam received and worked with the Director of the World Heritage Center; the Prime Minister directly worked with the Director General of UNESCO to propose support for the nomination dossier. During the meetings and working exchanges between the General Secretary and Prime Minister of the Lao PDR, the content of Hin Nam No was always included in the official working program and directed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to deploy and support the other side to complete the nomination dossier.

On July 5, 2025, the Prime Minister sent a letter to the Director General of UNESCO and member countries of the World Heritage Committee proposing to recognize the Complex of Monuments and Landscapes of Yen Tu, Vinh Nghiem, Con Son - Kiep Bac as a World Heritage Site. It can be seen that the attention and timely direction of the General Secretary and Prime Minister helped the nomination dossier to be completed on schedule to be sent to UNESCO for consideration and decision at the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee.

A corner of a cave belonging to the World Natural Heritage Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park

Can you share your experience and lessons learned to successfully protect heritage records?

- At the Session, to demonstrate Vietnam's goodwill and commitment to long-term protection and sustainable management of heritage, fully and seriously implementing the requirements and recommendations of ICOMOS, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism coordinated with the UNESCO Vietnam Office in Hanoi, the UNESCO Vietnam National Commission, the three provinces of Quang Ninh, Bac Giang, Hai Duong (old), the group of experts representing Vietnam at the World Heritage Committee and relevant experts and scientists to receive and explain the recommendations of ICOMOS and promptly send them to the World Heritage Center; Committed to having a specific plan and roadmap to complete all recommendations of ICOMOS (Completing the tourist management plan, the carrying capacity of the relics and ensuring security and safety for the relics, artifacts, etc.); Advised on completing the Prime Minister's Letter to the Director General of UNESCO and the Member States of the World Heritage Committee.

Organized an online working session with the Permanent Mission of India to UNESCO in Paris - France and relevant agencies of India to express Vietnam's support for the nomination of India's Maratha Military Landscape as a World Heritage Site.

Through this working session, Vietnam also provided information, explained and clarified the outstanding global values of the Yen Tu, Vinh Nghiem, Con Son - Kiep Bac Monuments and Landscape Complex so that India (a member state of the World Heritage Committee) could understand and support the nomination dossier submitted to UNESCO for recognition at the 47th Session. In particular, regarding ICOMOS's recommendation on completing the integration of the Heritage Impact Assessment mechanism into the Law on Cultural Heritage, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has proactively internalized and completed legal documents related to the assessment of world heritage impacts.

This is important content for ICOMOS and member countries of the World Heritage Committee (India, Korea, Japan, Saint Vincent & Grenada, Kazakhstan, Senegal, South Africa, Kenya, Turkey, Italy, Zambia...) to have a friendly and positive approach to Vietnam, as well as better understand the nominated heritage, thereby supporting Vietnam's nomination dossier.

After the explanatory report was supplemented, completed and approved by ICOMOS, on the sidelines of the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee, the Provincial People's Committees actively coordinated with the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to contact UNESCO's Advisory Bodies and 21 member countries to gain support for the dossier of the Complex of Monuments and Landscapes of Yen Tu, Vinh Nghiem, Con Son - Kiep Bac.

Through this, it can be affirmed that in order to successfully nominate a world heritage, first of all, the heritage must meet the world heritage criteria; the research process and nomination dossier preparation must ensure good quality; the reception and explanation of the evaluation contents of UNESCO's Advisory Bodies must ensure scientificity, approaching the requirements set forth by the World Heritage Convention.

In the coming time, for the two heritages that were just recognized by UNESCO at the 47th session, how will the Department of Cultural Heritage and the locality plan to preserve and promote their values?

- In the coming time, to effectively manage the World Cultural Heritage Complex of Yen Tu, Vinh Nghiem, Con Son - Kiep Bac, the Department of Cultural Heritage will work with localities to closely follow UNESCO's recommendations on heritage site conservation to fully implement the planning of these relic sites approved by the Prime Minister; Complete the integration of the Heritage Impact Assessment mechanism into the Law on Cultural Heritage and the Decree guiding its implementation.

Carry out the restoration and embellishment of relics in accordance with the provisions of the law on cultural heritage; Develop a plan to respond to the increase in the number of visitors in the future and integrate tourism activities and orientations into a tourism management plan. In addition, it is necessary to prioritize the development of services for tourists that do not affect the value of the heritage and are in harmony with the surrounding landscape; Strengthen research and collect detailed information on indigenous knowledge related to intangible cultural heritage in this area, in order to provide the necessary context for the participation of indigenous communities in the process of heritage management and protection.

For the World Natural Heritage Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park, the two sides need to continue to promote the implementation of scientific research topics and establish operational methods to deal with risks affecting the heritage; assess tourism capacity in accordance with the capacity and ecological capacity of resources in the overall Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and Hin Nam No National Park. In particular, the Vietnamese side can support the Lao side to improve the capacity to develop legal regulations in the management, protection and promotion of the value of World Heritage in general, and Hin Nam No National Park in particular.

Thank you!

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/bam-sat-khuyen-nghi-cua-unesco-de-bao-ton-phat-huy-gia-tri-di-san-156863.html