Hanoi (VNA) - Since joining UNESCO in July 1976, Vietnam hascontinued to play a greater role, and has been a very active member of the Executive Board of differentcommittees, said Michael Croft, UNESCOChief Representative in Vietnam.

“To give a general assessment of Vietnam towards theUnited Nations, the easiest thing to say is it's certainly very positive,” Croft said in an exclusive interview withthe Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of 45 years of Vietnam joining the UNEducational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

The country has also been active, particularly in theculture sector in terms of supporting some of the new resolutions and newconventions, especially the convention on promoting the diversity of thecultural expression, he added.

Vietnam demonstrates to other member states how to leverage UNESCO’sdesignations, he said, adding “we have seen in terms of the success of the country in using the WorldHeritage Sites, the Geoparks, and also the World Biosphere Reserves as enginesfor development.”

“As we'd like to say UNESCO’s placing culture as the heartof development. So in terms of the role of the organisation, it’s a veryvibrant member, and it’s a memberthat punches above its own weight.”


He highlighted that Vietnam's first candidacy to head a UNorganisationwas with UNESCO in 2017, andemphasised this shows the importance that Vietnam placeson UNESCO and the way it sees its role within the organisation.

Regarding the cooperation relationship between UNESCO and Vietnam over theyear, Croft said it has evolved as the UN's relationshipwith Vietnam has evolved.

According to him, it was development assistance in theprevious years, and this is shifting, as Vietnam starts to transform.

Vietnam is nowa middle income country, has a lot of different resources, and has always been verycapable of making strategic decisions, he said, adding that “what it expects from UNESCOand from the rest of the UN is for us to be used on mandates creatively insupport of those priorities.”

UNESCO’s moving away from projects towards supportingpartnerships for sustainable development in Vietnam. So UNESCO's role now inVietnam is less about doing development projects and more about working withthe government, with society, with academia, and with the private sector tobuild the “coalition” of the concerns aroundimportant issues in education, culture, science, communication and information.

On UNESCO’s recommendations to the Vietnamese Government to promote the imageof Vietnam to the world, Croft said he is impressed by cultural diplomacy inVietnam, especially the work and the approaches ofPresident Ho Chi Minh, who was able to apply cultural diplomacy. “With such great effectduring the struggle for freedom of independence, cultural diplomacy is asimportant now in the 21st century as it was before,” he said.

According to him, Vietnam has such a unique culturalheritage and it also retains culture, and there are a lot of cultural assetsthat it can use to continue to build up its soft power.

The cultural industries in Vietnam have great untappedpotential because there's a lot of things that are still undiscovered here andthat people are still very interested about. This is really an advantage of Vietnam in promoting social and economic development.

He highlighted Hanoi’s initiative, almost two years ago,to apply to UNESCO and to be granted the title of Hanoi Creative City is reallywonderful.

This is an opportunity for Vietnam to rebrand itself andrecreate itselfin the 21st century - “a country of peace, a country where it's good to visit and calm but alsoa country of creativity, a country of dynamism, a young country, an up andcoming country, an engaged country.”/.