She made the remarks at a plenary meeting on October 9 during the 225th session of UNESCO’s Executive Board held in Paris from October 8 to 20, 2026.
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A view of the 225th session of UNESCO’s Executive Board held in Paris, France |
The ambassador reaffirmed Viet Nam’s support for UNESCO’s role in its fields of expertise, highlighting the organization’s leadership in accelerating progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) on quality education.
On culture, she welcomed the U.N. General Assembly’s proclamation of the International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development (2027-2036), a Vietnamese initiative, and stressed UNESCO’s role in turning its goals into concrete action.
For digital technology, the Vietnamese diplomat called for inclusive, safe, transparent and responsible technology governance that puts people at the center while respecting national sovereignty and digital sovereignty. She also expressed support for exploring a normative instrument concerning youth and the digital environment in the age of artificial intelligence.
The diplomat reaffirmed Viet Nam’s support for the UNESCO 80 reform process, aimed at improving the organization’s operational efficiency.
Marking 50 years of Viet Nam-UNESCO cooperation (1976-2026), she highlighted Viet Nam’s shift from an aid recipient to an active partner in shaping UNESCO’s strategic orientations. The Asia-Pacific Dialogue on Heritage and Authenticity, recently co-organized in Viet Nam, reflects this growing cooperation, she said.
The Vietnamese official called on countries to strengthen cooperation and solidarity, reinforce multilateralism and restore trust based on respect for the U.N. Charter and international law, with a view to translating shared commitments into tangible benefits for people in all countries.
Bringing together representatives of 58 member states and observer countries, the 225th session of UNESCO’s Executive Board reviews the implementation of UNESCO’s programs and activities, governance, including the UNESCO 80 reform process.
Source: VNA