Reporters interviewed Ambassador Le Thi Hong Van about her work with UNESCO and her team's mission to promote heritage sites to the international community.

What are your feelings when Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba Archipelago is registered as a World Natural Heritage by UNESCO?

I still clearly remember the feeling of bursting with happiness of the entire Vietnamese delegation when the Chairman of the World Heritage Committee's 45th session knocked the gavel through the nomination dossier, designating the Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago complex (located in Quang Ninh province and Hai Phong city) as a World Natural Heritage Site on September 16.

This is not only the pride of the community and people of Hai Phong city and Quang Ninh province, but also the joy of the country, because Vietnam is once again named on the world heritage map after eight years.

It is international recognition and appreciation for the beauty of heritage and Vietnam's efforts in protecting them. It is also an honor and pride in another contribution of our country to the goal of preserving and promoting heritage values promoted by UNESCO, enriching humanity's cultural treasure.

We all understand that honor and pride always come with responsibility, requiring all levels, sectors and localities to raise awareness and synchronously deploy practical and effective conservation measures, promoting the value of heritage in accordance with the spirit of the 1972 Convention

To get the result - the first inter-provincial world heritage in our country, how was Vietnam's advocacy work implemented? During that process, how do you feel about international assessments of Vietnam' efforts to preserve and promote heritage values?

This is the result of closely following and implementing the Prime Minister's direction, the close and effective coordination of ministries and branches, and most importantly, the efforts and determination of the government and people of Hai Phong city and Quang Ninh Province.

The process of building the dossier lasted nearly ten years with many difficulties, from choosing criteria to highlighting the global value of the heritage, promoting consensus between the two localities, perfecting the joint cooperation and coordination mechanism to preserve and manage heritage.

Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism conducted nearly 30 meetings to share views, clarify the outstanding global value of the heritage, explain the efforts of governments and people of the two localities.

Especially through the discussions, World Heritage Committee member countries appreciated the goodwill, strong determination, efforts, and specific commitments of government leaders, local leaders, ministries and the community in preserving and promoting heritage values.

On that basis, the meeting reached an absolute consensus of all 21/21 Committee members supporting Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba Archipelago to register as a new World Heritage Site, with its amazing natural beauty, outstanding global value, and habitat for many rare animals.

What does the recognition of the Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba Archipelago complex as a World Natural Heritage mean for Vietnam's "heritage diplomacy" process?

The fact that the Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba Archipelago complex was registered as a World Natural Heritage is a new milestone in Vietnam's recent journey of cultural diplomacy and heritage diplomacy.

One year ago, Vietnam was one of the first countries to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage (Ninh Binh, September 2022) with the participation of UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.

Audrey Azoulay affirmed that Vietnam is a typical model of harmony between preserving and promoting heritage values, associated with sustainable tourism development, economic development and people's livelihoods.

At the international conference on "Promoting the value of UNESCO titles for sustainable development in Vietnam" last July, Assistant Director-General for Priority Africa and External Relations Firmin Edouard Matoko, emphasized Vietnam's responsible role at UNESCO, especially in the work of preserving world heritages for future generations.

Therefore, the fact that the Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba Archipelago complex is registered as a World Natural Heritage by UNESCO is vivid proof, affirming another specific contribution of Vietnam at the international level to preserve and promote heritage value, appreciated by the international community.

UNESCO leaders believe that, with good experts and practical experience in preserving and promoting heritage values, Vietnam has the full basis to take on the role of a member of the World Heritage Committee for the 2023-2027 term.

Video: WVR

With the country's current position and strength, how do you evaluate the image of Vietnam's country, people, and natural landscape in the eyes of international friends? How to create motivation/inspiration for pioneering heritage diplomacy?

Our country has advantages bestowed by nature, heroic historical traditions, thousand-year civilization, diversity and uniqueness of cultural identity, and the qualities of Vietnamese people, associated with dynamic development in innovation and international integration. This is a favorable foundation for us to continue effectively implementing cultural and heritage diplomacy.

In my opinion, we can continue to promote the pioneering role of cultural and heritage diplomacy in the following four aspects.

Firstly, promote the pioneering role in advising and proposing policies, taking advantage of UNESCO's ideas and initiatives in supporting the implementation of national goals, and contributing to the country's sustainable development.

Second, participate in building, mobilizing, and protecting documents submitted to UNESCO for registration, combining conservation and promotion of heritage to serve practical development.

Third, pioneer in promoting the image of Vietnam's country, people, and culture to the world. To date, Vietnam has nearly 60 heritage sites and UNESCO titles, ranking first among Southeast Asian countries in the number of heritage sites registered by UNESCO.

The international titles that UNESCO gives to Vietnam are an effective way for international friends to better understand a developing Vietnam, a successful model of innovation and integration, but still rich in tradition and identity.

Fourth, enhance the position and prestige of the country through increasing contributions to common concerns, strengthening international responsibilities, and operating roles in UNESCO mechanisms. We continue to campaign for election to the World Heritage Committee for the 2023-2027 term to contribute to the common work of UNESCO.

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