Vietnam has become a member of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage for the 2022-26 term, the second time the country has assumed the position.

The Southeast Asian nation earned 120 votes to be elected to the intergovernmental committee, the highest vote number among the candidate countries for the four-year membership, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Wednesday.  

The election was conducted as part of the ninth session of the UNESCO General Assembly of the States Parties to the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which took place at UNESCO headquarters in Paris from July 5 to 7.

The main functions of the 24-member committee are to promote the implementation of the convention’s goals, provide instructions on best practices, and make recommendations on steps to preserve intangible cultural heritage, according to UNESCO.

At the three-day session, representatives from 180 States Parties of the UNCESO discussed issues that are significant for the preservation of living heritage around the world, and on the future of the convention that was adopted by the UNESCO General Conference in 2003.

This is the second time that Vietnam has taken on this role since its first four-year term starting in 2006, one year after it was a party to the 2003 convention.

Every two years, the UNESCO General Assembly will renew half of the States Members to the committee, and a State Member will not be elected for two consecutive terms, UNESCO said on its website.  

This re-election shows the international community’s confidence in Vietnam’s ability of contribution to and capability of operation at global multilateral institutions, as well as the recognition of its contributions in maintaining, preserving, and promoting the value of intangible heritage in the country and in the world, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. 

This has also resulted from Vietnam’s foreign policy of multilateralization and diversification of external relations, and from its comprehensive and extensive international integration, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Speaking at the meeting, Ambassador Le Thi Hong Van, head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to UNESCO, reported the country’s past efforts in preserving and bringing into play intangible cultural heritage and affirmed its willingness to work more closely with UNESCO in this field.

The new membership in the said intergovernmental committee will facilitate Vietnam’s further contributions to the UNESCO activities of preserving and promoting the value of intangible cultural heritage.

The re-election to the same committee reflects Vietnam’s increasing prestige at UNESCO as well as in the international arena.

Vietnam is also a member of the UNESCO Executive Council for the 2021-25 term, and a member of the Intergovernmental Committee of the 2005 UNESCO Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions for the same term.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!