UN Resident Coordinator in Việt Nam, Kamal Malhotra (left), and the Chairwoman and CEO of the SOVICO Group, Nguyễn Thị Phương Thảo, sign a Memorandum of Understanding that marks the cooperation of the Vietnamese corporation with the UN in support of the sustainable development goals. — Photo courtesy of the UNESCO

HÀ NỘI — The United Nations (UN) and SOVICO Group will partner to support Hà Nội’s cultural heritage and development, following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on Wednesday by the UN Resident Coordinator in Việt Nam, Kamal Malhotra, and the Chairwoman and CEO of the SOVICO Group, Nguyễn Thị Phương Thảo.

Noting that both parties share common interests in promoting youth engagement, green growth and the protection and promotion of natural and cultural heritages in Việt Nam, the MoU establishes a long-term framework for action and calls on the parties to work to broaden this partnership with other Vietnamese businesses.

As a first step, SOVICO Group will collaborate with UNESCO, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) to support Hà Nội’s development as UNESCO Creative City through the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage, revitalisation of craft villages and support for creative hubs to nurture the young creative talent of Hà Nội.

Guided by the values of sustainability and respect for local culture, the partnership envisions the development of Hà Nội as a creative capital, building on its creative past and the energy of its youth.

“This partnership with the UN to support Hà Nội’s cultural heritage and development demonstrates the continued commitment of SOVICO Group to support the long-term development of Việt Nam by supporting youth leadership to make a meaningful contribution to social, cultural and economic development in Việt Nam,” said Thảo.

“We also expect our co-operation with the UN through UNESCO technical assistance will help establish a SOVICO fund for Việt Nam’s heritage and innovation to support even more initiatives and solutions for cultural and green city development, artistic and design activities as well as creative hubs to nurture creative talents, promoting entrepreneurship and innovation,” she added.

According to Malhotra, SOVICO Group is demonstrating its commitment to sustainable development in Việt Nam and to the principles and values of the United Nations with this new partnership.

“We salute them for being pioneers among Vietnamese corporations and welcome them as partners. We hope that SOVICO’s example will inspire other Vietnamese private sector companies to take the necessary actions that will realise a sustainable future for Việt Nam," he noted.

To realise the partnership and fulfil the commitments to support Hà Nội, three UN organisations in Việt Nam – UNESCO, UN Habitat and UNIDO – will launch the project 'Mobilising Cultural Resources and Youth Participation to Make Hà Nội Become a Capital of Creativity'.

The project will be implemented with co-operation and sponsorship from SOVICO Group.

The project prioritises young Vietnamese talents with innovative solutions to protect, restore and promote tangible and intangible cultural heritages of Hà Nội.

They will also be supported with favourable conditions to participate in programmes of promoting cultural creativity.

Some specific examples of activities to be carried out within the framework of the project include a photo contest about Hà Nội – City of Creative Design, designing digital platforms to introduce outstanding creative works to the wider public, connecting young creative hubs or collaborating with businesses to organise a product design competition with high applicability, inspired by cultural heritage and traditional materials. VNS