Ministry of Information and Communications disseminates UNESCO propaganda priorities

On June 15 in Hanoi, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) chaired a conference to disseminate propaganda priorities about the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Vietnam's participation in UNESCO.

Attending the Conference were representatives of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO; the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Science and Technology , the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, and reporters and editors from many central press agencies.

Speaking at the opening of the Conference, Mr. Trieu Minh Long, Director of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Information and Communications, said that in the context of the post-Covid-19 world economy facing many difficulties, vulnerable to increasing risks, global challenges, strategic competition of major countries, and limited budget for UNESCO activities, Vietnam has made many efforts and continues to be a bright spot in promoting an active and proactive role with the tasks and positions it assumes in UNESCO's mechanisms.

Bộ Thông tin và Truyền thông phổ biến các ưu tiên tuyên truyền về UNESCO

Conference scene. (Photo: Le An)

According to Mr. Trieu Minh Long, in 2022, as the Standing Member of the Information Subcommittee of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, the Ministry of Information and Communications has achieved many outstanding results in promoting UNESCO with the active participation of press agencies.

Specifically, training to improve digital literacy and training to promote UNESCO have been actively implemented, such as the Workshop “Enhancing Digital Literacy and Digital Skills for People”; two general training courses and two in-depth training courses on “Journalism Economics in the Context of Digital Transformation”; three training courses for more than 320 reporters and editors of 270 press agencies on the current status of child protection in the online environment and technology trends, etc.

The Information Subcommittee with the full participation of units in charge of information fields of the Ministry and key press agencies affirmed the desire and determination to promote information and propaganda activities about UNESCO and programs and projects in UNESCO's fields in Vietnam; established a regular contact and coordination channel between the UNESCO National Committee Secretariat, the agencies that are focal points in charge of the remaining subcommittees in the National Committee structure and the units that are members of the Information Subcommittee, and press agencies in informing and propagating activities related to UNESCO.

At the Conference, representatives of the Secretariat of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences presented action plans and propaganda orientations about UNESCO in 2023 in the fields of natural sciences, social sciences, education, and culture.

According to the Secretariat of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, in recent times, cooperation between the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO and UNESCO has improved significantly as the Commission has coordinated with localities and relevant units to build and successfully campaign for UNESCO to register a number of dossiers.

Of which, there are 57 UNESCO titles including 8 world cultural and natural heritages, 15 intangible cultural heritages, 9 regional and world documentary heritages, 11 world biosphere reserves, 3 global geoparks, 1 creative city, 1 city of peace, 6 international celebrities, 3 global learning cities, 23 ASPnet schools.

At the same time, the Committee has been effectively coordinating the implementation of the Vietnam-UNESCO Memorandum of Understanding for the 2021-2025 period; being an active and responsible member of the UNESCO Executive Board and the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage...

In the coming time, in the cultural field, the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO will strengthen the construction of a national institutional framework to promote the commitment of the public and private sectors; complete the national institutional framework on Vietnam's documentary heritage. In addition, the Commission will move towards participating in UNESCO's standard legal frameworks.

Regarding information and communication, the Committee will continue to promote cooperation within the framework of international programs; improve knowledge of information, communication and digital skills, and the ability to distinguish fake news and harmful information. The Committee will also exploit programs using information technology in preserving and promoting the value of UNESCO titles.

Ms. Tran Hai Van - Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) also said that in the coming time, the Cultural Subcommittee will focus on propaganda and dissemination of UNESCO Conventions such as the Convention on the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, the Convention on Measures to Prevent the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, the Convention on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage, the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the Convention on Anti-Doping in Sports, and regulations within the framework of the Memory of the World Program, etc.

Regarding the 2005 UNESCO Convention, the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the Cultural Subcommittee will actively implement the Project on developing the Creative Cities Network within the UNESCO Creative Cities System, implementing Resolution No. 124/NQ-CP dated September 3, 2020 of the Government on the Government's Action Program to implement Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW dated March 22, 2018 of the Politburo, on the orientation for formulating a national industrial development policy to 2030, with a vision to 2045.

At the same time, the Cultural Subcommittee continues to implement the National Cultural Index Project based on the UNESCO Pilot Project on Cultural Index to implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for sustainable development at the national level and Thua Thien Hue at the local level; integrating the introduction of Vietnamese heritages recognized by UNESCO within the framework of activities to promote the national image, introduce the country, people, culture and art of Vietnam abroad (Cultural Weeks, Vietnamese Cultural Days abroad) as well as important activities and events held in Vietnam...

With the Memory of the World Program, Dr. Pham Thi Khanh Ngan - Deputy Head of the Department of Museum and Documentary Heritage Management (Department of Cultural Heritage - Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) also informed that Vietnam has participated very actively by continuously conducting surveys and preliminary assessments of the volume of documentary heritage hidden in the treasure trove of Vietnamese cultural heritage, including the majority of documentary heritage located in the systems of museums, libraries, relics, especially communities, clans, individuals and a part at the archives centers of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Department of Cultural Heritage also regularly notifies and guides relevant Departments of provinces and centrally run cities on the implementation of activities to protect and promote the value of documentary heritage nationwide in Official Dispatch No. 311/DSVH-QLBT&TTTL dated May 10, 2021.

Every year, documents guiding localities on criteria, procedures for developing and evaluating nomination dossiers for world registration according to the announcement of the National Committee of the Memory of the World Program are issued.

In addition, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will focus on raising awareness of the whole society through propaganda activities on protecting and promoting the value of documentary heritage; bringing documentary heritage together with tangible and intangible cultural heritage to become a driving force for sustainable socio-economic development...

At the conference, representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment presented the content of preserving and promoting the values of global geoparks to realize the goal of sustainable development. Representatives of relevant ministries and sectors also answered questions from reporters of news agencies related to the amended Heritage Law, the issue of repatriation of antiquities, documentary heritage, etc.

At the end of the Conference, Ms. Pham Thi Phuong Chi, Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Information and Communications emphasized that, in addition to promoting UNESCO activities and Vietnam's participation in UNESCO, the Ministry of Information and Communications identified the priority content in promoting UNESCO cooperation as improving digital skills for journalists, professional media workers and the people.

According to the plan, the Ministry of Information and Communications will organize two training conferences on digital skills for reporters (expected in August 2023 in Hanoi) and for young people expected in October 2023.

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