Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son. (Photo: Tuan Anh)

 At the 41^st session of the UNESCO General Conference in Paris, France, on November 17, Viet Nam won 163 out of the 178 votes to become a member of the UNESCO Executive Board for 2021 - 2025, ranking sixth among the 27 countries elected.

 Talking to the press on November 18, Son said together with its recent election to prestigious multilateral organisations and institutions, Viet Nam's election to the UNESCO Executive Board for the fifth time holds great significance in many aspects.

 First, it continues helping to affirm the Party and State’s clear-sighted policy on promoting multilateral diplomacy, and comprehensively implementing and effectively combining political and economic diplomacy with cultural diplomacy, and bilateral diplomacy with multilateral diplomacy, he noted.

 Second, Viet Nam’s election to the UNESCO Executive Board with a very high number of votes affirms the country’s stature and prestige in the international arena, showing that the international community supports its active participation in activities of international organisations, including those of the UN.

 Third, as a member of the UNESCO Executive Board, Viet Nam will have conditions to directly take part in the making and adoption of important decisions of this organisation, thus opening up opportunities for the country to guarantee national interests at the highest possible level in terms of global cultural, educational - training, and scientific - technological cooperation. The election will also help Viet Nam make use of knowledge and external resources for socio-economic development, bring into play its cultural values, and develop education - training and science - technology, which matches the common trend in the world and meet national development requirements in the new period, according to Son.

 As a member of the UNESCO Executive Board for 2021 - 2025, he went on, Viet Nam will keep upholding its sense of responsibility and proactively and actively contribute to UNESCO activities, especially in important issues of common concern such as making reforms to improve the organisation’s democracy, transparency, and prestige; making policies and seeking solutions to protect and promote the interests of member states, including Viet Nam; and contributing to the focal programmes of UNESCO at present like ethics of artificial intelligence, education for sustainable development, preservation and utilisation of cultural heritage values.

 Viet Nam is determined to fulfill the responsibilities of an Executive Board member so as to promote and bring into play the role of UNESCO for the sake of humankind, the minister noted, adding that this is also a good chance for the country to enhance cooperation with UNESCO to open up “new development spaces” for it, thereby improving the spiritual life in society and creating a favourable foundation for Viet Nam to achieve the sustainable development goals./.