For the third time, Vietnam became a member of the Intergovernmental Committee of the UNESCO Convention 2005: Culture has always been one of the pillars of sustainable development in Vietnam.

(PLVN) - In the first decades of the 21st century, the explosion of the internet, media... has created favorable conditions for the globalization process. Besides the opportunity to promote the cultural identity of nations, globalization has had negative impacts on traditional values ​​as well as increased foreignness in cultural activities and services.

In that context, the birth of a new Convention within the framework of UNESCO on cultural diversity is a necessary requirement. On October 20, 2005, the UNESCO General Assembly voted to adopt the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions (UNESCO 2005 Convention). The Convention officially came into effect on March 18, 2007. Vietnam is one of the countries that made efforts to participate in the drafting process and early ratification of the UNESCO 2005 Convention. Notably, after ratifying the Convention, Vietnam was elected and successfully assumed the role of Vice President of the Intergovernmental Committee and Vice President of the UNESCO Convention General Assembly for the 2011-2015 term. Vietnam is also considered a responsible member of UNESCO and has made practical contributions to the organization's work.

Since the ratification of the 2005 UNESCO Convention, many Vietnamese cultural policies have been built on the spirit of the Convention. For example, in 2024, in an effort to implement the Convention, Vietnam achieved many achievements, notably the National Assembly's approval of the investment policy for the National Target Program on Cultural Development for the 2025-2035 period with a total investment of nearly 5 billion USD, which sets out a series of comprehensive and specific goals for Vietnamese culture in the next 10 years. The Prime Minister issued Directive No. 30/CT-Tg on the development of Vietnamese cultural industries. In that spirit, in 2025, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism submitted to the Prime Minister the Strategy for the Development of Vietnamese Cultural Industries to 2030, with a vision to 2045, to create new momentum to promote the development of Vietnamese cultural industries...

Vietnam is currently a member of the Intergovernmental Committee of the UNESCO 2005 Convention for the 2021-2025 term. From June 18 to 20, 2025, at the UNESCO headquarters (Paris, France), the 10th session of the General Assembly of the UNESCO 2005 Convention took place. At this General Assembly session, the member countries of the Convention elected Vietnam to be re-elected as a member of the Intergovernmental Committee of the UNESCO 2005 Convention for the 2025-2029 term.

This is the first case since the UNESCO 2005 Convention was born that a country has participated in the Intergovernmental Committee for two consecutive terms, and this is the third time Vietnam has participated in the Intergovernmental Committee of the UNESCO 2005 Convention. This demonstrates the General Assembly's recognition of Vietnam's efforts and achievements in implementing the UNESCO 2005 Convention, and at the same time demonstrates Vietnam's active contributions and prestige at the United NationsEducational , Cultural and Scientific Organization.

Attending the recent meeting, Dr. Nguyen Phuong Hoa - Director of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism - the national focal point of the UNESCO 2005 Convention emphasized that the UNESCO 2005 Convention, adopted 20 years ago, is a strong act of will and collective effort of international solidarity. Cultural expressions are the core of identity, representing our communities and aspirations. Cultural diversity is a common heritage of humanity that needs to be protected and promoted for present and future generations.

Sharing about Vietnam's efforts in cultural development, Dr. Nguyen Phuong Hoa affirmed that Vietnam's policies always put people at the center, build a healthy cultural environment, nurture creativity, ensure people's rights to enjoy culture, and culture is one of the pillars of sustainable development. "We need to make more efforts to make culture a strong presence in the global agenda for sustainable development, especially when the world is moving towards the post-2030 agenda framework," said the Vietnamese representative.

Immediately after the General Assembly session, the 20th Anniversary of the UNESCO 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions was solemnly and impressively held at UNESCO headquarters. The event is considered to be of great significance right before the World Conference on Cultural Policy and Sustainable Development (MONDIACULT 2025) in September in Barcelona. Notably, within the framework of the upcoming official visit to Vietnam, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay will attend the Opening Ceremony of the 3rd Da Nang Asian Film Festival (DANAFF), one of the events nominated by Vietnam to participate in the series of activities and events celebrating the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO 2005 Convention worldwide.

H.Minh

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/lan-thu-ba-viet-nam-tro-thanh-vien-uy-ban-lien-chinh-phu-cong-uoc-unesco-2005-van-hoa-luon-la-mot-trong-nhung-tru-cot-cua-phat-trien-ben-vung-tai-viet-nam-post552610.html