World Heritage Cities Organization Conference opens in Hue

On the evening of October 14, the 5th Regional Conference of the Organization of World Heritage Cities in Asia and the Pacific (OWHC-AP) opened in Hue city. The Conference was directed and sponsored by the People's Committee of Hue city. The host unit of OWHC-AP is the Regional Secretariat (Gyeongju city, Korea).

More than 100 domestic and international delegates from 7 countries attended the Conference, including: Korea, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, including nearly 30 mayors and representatives of member cities and leading heritage experts in the region.

With the theme: “Livability for sustainable development of World Heritage cities”, the conference focused on exchanging policies, urban management experiences, and solutions to improve the quality of life in cities with unique heritage values.

The conference also had a special session introducing the New Urban Project, chaired by the General Secretariat of the World Heritage Cities Organization (OWHC), towards smart, sustainable and community-connected urban models.

Opening the Conference, Permanent Vice Chairman of Hue City People's Committee Nguyen Thanh Binh emphasized that this event is a forum for urban leaders, experts and heritage communities to exchange and share experiences, and inspire new initiatives to preserve heritage values in the process of modern urban development.

This is also an opportunity to strengthen friendship and consolidate cooperation networks between heritage cities in the region and around the world.

According to the leader of the Hue City People's Committee, Hue - Vietnam's first world heritage city - always respects the past, considering heritage as the foundation of identity and the driving force for development.

Over the years, Hue has strived towards the goal of: "Heritage, cultural, ecological, landscape, environmentally friendly urban area", where people live in a harmonious space between tradition and modernity.

Hosting the Conference demonstrates Hue's strong commitment to contributing to the OWHC's overall mission of heritage conservation and improving the quality of life of urban residents.

The conference took place over 3 days, from October 14 to 16, with main programs such as: Opening ceremony, awarding ceremony of the World Heritage Research Contest and the Content Creation Contest for Heritage Cities, traditional Korean and Vietnamese fashion exchange, Hue royal traditional art program; Mayor and expert workshop with a special session on the New Urban Project; Academic workshop on sustainable conservation, digital technology application and community role; Mayor's meeting to share experiences, policies and orientations for sustainable urban development, announcing the host city of the next conference.

The OWHC was established in 1993, headquartered in Quebec City (Canada) with more than 200 member cities with heritage recognized by UNESCO. The OWHC-AP Conference is held every two years, serving as a forum for exchanging knowledge, experience and solutions for urban heritage conservation; at the same time strengthening the cooperation network between member cities./.

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/hoi-nghi-to-chuc-cac-thanh-pho-di-san-the-gioi-khai-mac-tai-hue-post1070315.vnp