At the invitation of the Vietnamese Government, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova made official visit to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam from 24 to 27 August 2017 to discuss ongoing bilateral cooperation between UNESCO and Viet Nam and to officially recognize the International Centres of Research and Postgraduate Training on Mathematics and Physics as Category 2 centres under the auspices of UNESCO.

On 24 August 2017, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and Viet Nam’s Minister for Science and Technology, Mr Chu Ngoc Anh, signed agreements to establish the country’s first two Centres under the auspices of UNESCO, harnessing the power of science for sustainable development.

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and Viet Nam’s Minister for Science and Technology, Mr Chu Ngoc Anh

In the afternoon, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova had a meeting with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung, who is also the Chairman of Vietnam’s National UNESCO Committee.

UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova at the meeting with Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chairman of Vietnam’s National UNESCO Committee, Mr. Le Hoai Trung

During joint reviews of existing cooperation with national authorities, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova has emphasized the Organization's readiness to exploring new possibilities for programming to meet emerging priorities for Viet Nam. With UN partners, the recent relocation of the Organization to the Green One UN House demonstrates that the Organization is committed to doing so within the Delivering as One Initiative.

Following earlier engagements in Ninh Binh Province on 24 August 2017, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova met with representatives of all concerned Committees of the UNESCO National Commission, led by H.E. Mr Le Hoai Trung, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and President of the National Commission, to take stock of the current implementation of the UNESCO-Viet Nam Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for 2016-2020. Noting the satisfactory progress to day, Ms Bokova singled out the active engagement and support of the National Commission and relevant government agencies as having played a key role.

Following the meeting, Ms Bokova was hosted for an official dinner by the Minister of Education and Training Mr Phung Xuan Nha, where the two discussed emerging priorities and challenges in the education sector and potential areas for enhanced collaboration.

In recognition of the significance of the One UN context in Viet Nam, the Director-General visited the Green One UN House (GOUNH) in the morning of 25 August to meet with the UN Resident Coordinator and staff members of UNESCO and other UN Agencies. With the recent signing of the One Strategic Plan 2017 – 2021 between the Viet Nam Government and the UN and the relocation of the Organization's office within the GOUNH, the Director-General expressed her confidence that collaboration between UNESCO and other UN partners will be enhanced across a wide range of programming areas.
Concluding her two-day visit in Ha Noi, Ms Bokova met with H.E. Ms Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Member of the Politburo, and President of the National Assembly of Viet Nam. In addition to reviewing overall bilateral cooperation, the meeting highlighted the importance of cooperation through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), noting the leadership of Viet Nam in the ASEAN and in the ASEAN-UNESCO Committee.

Ms Bokova met with H.E. Ms Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Member of the Politburo, and President of the National Assembly of Viet Nam

On 26 August 2017, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova visited Ho Chi Minh City to discuss opportunities for strengthened partnership, recognizing the key role Ho Chi Minh City plays in the economic and social growth of Viet Nam. She was welcomed by the Secretary of the Party Committee of Ho Chi Minh City H.E. Mr Nguyen Thien Nhan.

The Secretary of the Party Committee of Ho Chi Minh City H.E. Mr Nguyen Thien Nhan welcomes UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova to Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: VNMedia.vn

Within the span of her four-day visit to Viet Nam, Ms Bokova's meeting with H.E. Mr Nguyen Thien Nhan highlighted the progress of UNESCO and Viet Nam's fruitful collaboration over the years, and set the pace for advancing UNESCO's work in Ho Chi Minh City and the south of Viet Nam. In doing so, Mr Nhan highlighted some of the social challenges that have accompanied rapid economic growth, and requested that UNESCO collaborate with city authorities to elaborate appropriate responses in these areas as well as with regard to the impact of climate change.

The Director-General took note of these concerns and promised subsequent follow up by the UNESCO Ha Noi Office in collaboration with relevant UNESCO Regional Offices and Institutes. In the light of Viet Nam's National Strategy for the Development of Cultural Industries in Viet Nam toward 2020, Ms Bokova invited Ho Chi Minh City to participate in UNESCO's Creative Cities Network, contributing to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the New Urban Agenda. She stated that the participation of Ho Chi Minh City has the potential to provide a strategic push to the wider national development of cultural industries on the basis of creativity and innovation and science and technology, making the most of economic factors of cultural values.

Prior to the meeting, Ms Bokova toured the extensive complex of Cu Chi Tunnels that is a lasting symbol of Viet Nam's determination and resilience during times of struggle for national independence and reunification. She and the UNESCO delegation also visited both the Reunification Palace and the Ho Chi Minh Museum, where the Director-General paid tribute to the remarkable achievements of the founding father of modern Viet Nam whose 100th birth anniversary was celebrated by UNESCO in 1990 with a special resolution.

Over the course of these different meetings, Ms Bokova echoed UNESCO's role as an essential 'soft power' actor, helping brokering knowledge and helping craft innovative policies in areas identified by national authorities as crucial to the country's sustainable development.

Source: un.org.vn