Việt Nam is elected member of the World Heritage Committee for the 2023-27 tenure on November 22 with the highest number of votes among Asian-Pacific states. — VNA/VNS Photo

PARIS — Việt Nam was elected member of the World Heritage Committee for the 2023-27 tenure on November 22 with the highest number of votes among Asian-Pacific states.

Securing 121 of the 171 valid votes, Việt Nam ranked second among the nine elected states from five regions, said the Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The election took place within the framework of the 24th session of the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage Convention) in Paris.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Hà Kim Ngọc, who is also Chairman of the Việt Nam National Commission for UNESCO, said this is the second time Việt Nam has been elected to the most important executive body for culture of UNESCO.

The high number of votes also reflected Việt Nam's prestige in the international arena, the international community’s trust in and support for its contribution and chairmanship capacity at global multilateral institutions, as well as the recognition of the country’s practical contributions to UNESCO and the preservation and promotion of heritage values in Vietnam and the world, he went on.

The official added that this also came as a result of the effective implementation of the cultural diplomacy strategy until 2030 and the methodological and widespread campaigning among international partners in Hà Nội, Paris, and capital cities of other countries via their representative agencies.

Ambassador Lê Thị Hồng Vân, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to UNESCO, stressed that as a member of the World Heritage Committee for 2023-27, Việt Nam will have favourable conditions to contribute more to the perfection and implementation of the targets and priorities of the World Heritage Convention, and share experience in the harmonisation of world heritage preservation and development.

It will join 20 other member states of the committee to supervise the implementation of the convention, protect, preserve, and bring into play the values of 1,199 world heritage elements around the globe, and consider the recognition of new ones to uphold, promote, and pass down historical and cultural values to future generations and help with sustainable development in the world, the diplomat noted.

The World Heritage Convention is the one with the biggest membership in UNESCO, 194. Therefore, candidates have to face strong competition to be elected one of the 21 member states of the World Heritage Committee. — VNS