Hội An is officially recognised by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritag in 1999. — VNA/VNS Photo

NEW DELHI — Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the Việt Nam National Commission for UNESCO Hà Kim Ngọc is attending the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO in New Delhi from July 21 – 31.

This is the first session Việt Nam has participated in as a member of the committee for the 2023-27 term.

In his opening speech at the plenary session on July 22, the official said that as the Vietnamese people are mourning the passing of General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, Việt Nam wishes to emphasise the significant thoughts of the Party leader on the role of culture as the spiritual foundation of society, serving both as a goal and an intrinsic strength and important motivation for national development.

Việt Nam always prioritises the effective implementation of the World Heritage Convention, paying attention to conserving and promoting the value of eight world heritage sites in the country, cooperating effectively with the World Heritage Centre and advisory bodies, and integrating the content of the Convention into its legal system and socio-economic development policies, Ngọc stated.

He committed to contributing to the World Heritage Fund, urged UNESCO and its member countries to continue strengthening international cooperation, effectively implementing the Convention, sharing experiences, enhancing capacity, and promoting the participation and contributions of the community, women, and youth.

On behalf of the more than 2,000 delegates from over 150 countries, Chairperson of the World Heritage Committee Vishal V. Sharma highly valued the message from the Vietnamese official, extending his deepest condolences to leaders and people of Việt Nam, and the bereaved family on their great loss.

Deputy Minister Hà Kim Ngọc meets Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. — VNA/VNS Photo

Earlier, on July 21 morning, the Vietnamese official had a meeting with Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre, during which Ngọc thanked the centre and its director personally for positive and effective support for Việt Nam.

He emphasised that the world heritage sites in Việt Nam have been making positive contributions to improving the lives of the host communities, as well as to the sustainable socio-economic development of the country in general.

For his part, Assomo thanked Việt Nam for its contributions, stressing that the country is a model for heritage conservation and promotion. He said he hopes that Việt Nam will share its experience with other UNESCO member countries.

The World Heritage Centre always accompanies and fully supports Việt Nam in the conservation and promotion of its world heritage sites, and commits to reviewing and supporting Việt Nam's future world heritage nomination dossiers within the scope of its functions, he affirmed.

The committee is one of the most important executive bodies of UNESCO, comprising 21 members with the authority to make key decisions regarding the recognition of cultural and natural world heritage sites; review and assess the conservation status of world heritage sites globally; and determine policies, budgets, and development orientations for the World Heritage Convention.

During the 11-day session, delegates will review 27 new heritage nomination dossiers and 124 others on the conservation and promotion of heritage values. — VNS