Vietnam protects and advocates for the inscription of heritage sites.

VHO - From July 5-17, the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee took place at UNESCO headquarters in Paris (Republic of France), attracting the participation of more than 190 member states of the 1972 World Heritage Convention.

Báo Văn Hóa•10/07/2025

Vietnam protects and advocates for the inscription of heritage sites - photo 1

The Vietnamese delegation attended the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee.

The Vietnamese delegation attending the event included the Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu, Chairman of the Vietnam National UNESCO Committee, and the Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam National UNESCO Committee. In addition, the delegation included representatives from agencies under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and delegations from provinces with World Heritage sites in Vietnam.

The 47th session is the most important annual event of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, with the participation of more than 190 member states as well as international advisory organizations such as the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), the International Centre for the Study of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre (WHC).

The session focused on assessing the conservation status of world heritage sites, discussing the recognition of new heritage sites, and updating UNESCO's guidelines and recommendations in the context of global impacts from climate change, urbanization, and conflict.

Lasting nearly two weeks, this session is particularly significant as the World Heritage Committee will consider nominations for approximately 30 new sites for inscription on the World Heritage List and the expansion of two sites already on the list.

Accordingly, the 21 member states of the World Heritage Committee will decide which heritage sites will be added to the World Heritage List, and will also make many important decisions related to the conservation and management of existing heritage sites that are under threat.

One of the main focuses of the session is to assess the conservation status of 248 recognized heritage sites, including those on the World Heritage List in Danger. In addition, the session will propose necessary measures to protect these sites from the negative impacts of climate change, human activities, and other factors.

This session was chaired by a Presidium led by Professor Nikolay Nenov from Bulgaria, with Joelle Bucyana (Rwanda) as Secretary, and Vice-Chairs from Belgium, Mexico, Qatar, South Korea, and Zambia, with financial support from the Republic of Bulgaria. In addition to the official sessions, the 47th session also featured several important side events aimed at promoting international understanding and cooperation in the field of heritage conservation.

Vietnam protects and advocates for the inscription of heritage sites - photo 2

Opening session of the 47th meeting of the World Heritage Committee

In addition to the official sessions, the Session also organized several side events to promote international understanding and cooperation in the field of heritage conservation, including: workshops and seminars on the themes “Capacity Building to Improve World Heritage Management”, “Using the World Heritage Convention to Implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework”, “Analysis of Updated World Heritage Gaps”, and the event “Launch of the Updated Version of the World Heritage Online Map Platform” organized by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

Also at the session, delegates will focus on discussing the topic "Building the participation of indigenous peoples within the framework of the World Heritage Convention," emphasizing the importance of the voices of indigenous communities in heritage conservation.

In particular, at this session, the World Heritage Committee will review the conservation status of several Vietnamese heritage sites such as Ha Long Bay, Thang Long Imperial Citadel, Trang An - Ninh Binh , and Phong Nha - Ke Bang in Quang Tri province. It will also consider the nomination dossier for the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son - Kiet Bac complex of historical sites and scenic spots as a World Heritage site, and consider inscribing Hin Nam No National Park in Khammouane province, Lao People's Democratic Republic, as an extension of the Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park World Natural Heritage site in Quang Tri province, Vietnam.

Attending the session, the Vietnamese delegation included leaders from ministries and sectors, as well as representatives from provinces and cities, with the responsibility of coordinating explanations and contributing to clarifying issues of interest to the World Heritage Committee.

The delegation from Quang Ninh province, led by Nguyen Hong Duong, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department, included Nguyen Thi Hanh, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; leaders and specialists from various departments and agencies; and scientists. Their purpose was to understand UNESCO's new policies on the management, protection, and promotion of world heritage sites; to protect the rights of the Ha Long Bay World Heritage Site; and to report on and explain issues related to the conservation of the Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago World Heritage Site under the province's responsibility.

At the same time, the delegation will also exchange and learn from the experiences of managing and protecting world heritage sites from member countries, and seek advice from international experts to sustainably manage and preserve heritage sites and promote the tourism potential and strengths of Quang Ninh province to the countries participating in the meeting. Notably, one of the core tasks of the Vietnamese delegation in general and Quang Ninh province in particular is to protect and advocate for the inscription of the Yen Tu - Vinh Nghiem - Con Son, Kiet Bac complex of historical sites and scenic spots on the World Heritage list. The Hue City delegation is led by Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Phan Quy Phuong. The Quang Tri province delegation is led by Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Hoang Xuan Tan to advocate for the inscription of the Vietnam-Laos transnational heritage sites: Hin Nam No National Park and Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park.

The proactive participation of localities in working delegations and their attendance at the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee not only contributes to explaining and advocating for inscription but also demonstrates the strong commitment of localities to implementing UNESCO's recommendations. It also expands opportunities for international cooperation in conservation, education, and heritage tourism development, affirming the position of localities in particular, and Vietnam in general, on the world heritage map.

Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/van-hoa/viet-nam-bao-ve-va-van-dong-ghi-danh-di-san-150569.html