Vietnam’s candidacy for UNESCO chief shows sense of responsibility
Vietnam’s candidacy for the post of UNESCO Director-General demonstrates the country’s sense of responsibility to the international community, even though its candidate did not receive many votes in the first round of voting in Paris on October 9.
Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau is the Vietnamese candidate for the UNESCO Director-General position (Photo: VNA)
Paris (VNA) –Vietnam’s candidacy for the post of UNESCO Director-General demonstrates thecountry’s sense of responsibility to the international community, even thoughits candidate did not receive many votes in the first round of voting in Parison October 9.
The Qatari candidate, Hammad binAl-Kawari, won the most votes – 19, followed by France’s Audrey Azoulay andEgypt’s Moushira Khattab. With no candidate winning more than half of thevotes, the UNESCO Executive Board will conduct the second voting round at theend of its meeting on October 10.
This is the first time Vietnamhas a candidate running for a leading position of a major UN agency. Theelection campaign has helped the country enhance its position and role in theinternational arena while strengthening cooperation with other countries.
The Vietnamese candidate, PhamSanh Chau, has campaigned at more than 30 member countries of the UNESCOExecutive Board, during which he introduced Vietnam’s history and culture,together with achievements of the Doi Moi (renewal) process and potential forinternational cooperation.
Vietnamese officials also lobbiedfor support during their meetings with foreign partners. In response, officialsof many countries spoke highly of Vietnam’s external policy of peace,independence and international integration, and appreciated the country’s wishto contribute more to international affairs in general and UNESCO inparticular.
Vietnam marked its 40 years ofjoining UNESCO on June 15 this year.
The country has receivedUNESCO’s assistance in access to know-how, technology and global funding tocontribute to national construction, as well as fine-tuning laws, Party andState policies and guidelines.-VNA
Vietnam has made practical and concrete contributions to realising the mission of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the head of the UN agency said.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Science and Technology and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on August 24 signed an agreement to establish two category 2 centres for mathematics and physics.
Chairman of Vietnam’s National UNESCO Committee Le Hoai Trung expressed his hope for strengthened cooperation with UNESCO at his talks with its Director General Irina Bokova in Hanoi on August 24.
Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan has asked UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova to increase cooperation programmes to support the city in enhancing human resources quality.
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokovare received credentials from Tran Thi Hoang Mai, the first female head of the Vietnam Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, in Paris on September 28.
As part of the ASEAN Day celebrations, the Vietnamese embassy will also host the ASEAN Family Day 2025 in Ottawa to foster solidarity and community spirit among ASEAN members in Canada.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
The ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony is observed by the 10 ASEAN member countries on August 8 every year, aiming to spread and promote the ASEAN identity and affirm the determination to unite and cooperate for the common aspiration of long-term peace and prosperity of Southeast Asian countries under the common roof of the ASEAN Community.
Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau is the Vietnamese candidate for the UNESCO Director-General position (Photo: VNA) 
