The delegation of Ninh Binh Province attended the session.

The opening ceremony of this year’s session was attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several cabinet members, including the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Culture, and Tourism, and UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. With the participation of over 2,500 delegates from member states, advisory bodies, senior diplomats, heritage experts, scholars, and researchers from 195 countries, the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee focuses on several key issues: (i) assessing the protection of World Heritage sites, including those in Vietnam; (ii) considering the inscription of new World Heritage sites; (iii) the global strategy for the World Heritage List; (iv) evaluating periodic reports and other topics such as finance and preparations for the next session

Attending the 46th annual session this year, Ninh Binh province aims to: grasp the policies, perspectives, and solutions for preserving and promoting the value of heritage in the new context; learn from global experiences and initiatives in managing and conserving World Heritage; seek UNESCO experts' consultations on World Heritage management; promote and introduce the outstanding global values of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex to experts, scientists, managers, and international visitors; strengthen and promote friendly cooperation with localities in India in the fields of healthcare, cultural industries, entrepreneurship, and innovation; and foster collaboration in developing spiritual tourism and preserving cultural and historical values while promoting tourism in the Indian market.

Before the opening ceremony, on the morning of the same day, the Vietnamese delegation, including Ninh Binh province, met with Lazare Eloundou Assomo, Director of the World Heritage Center. During the meeting, the Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO emphasized that the World Heritage sites in Vietnam have been making significant contributions to improving the livelihoods of local communities living near these heritage sites, as well as to the sustainable socio-economic development of the country as a whole. He expressed gratitude for the active and effective support from the World Heritage Center and its Director. On behalf of Ninh Binh province, Mr. Pham Quang Ngoc, Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee, highlighted the local efforts in conserving and promoting the value of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, aiming to build Ninh Binh into a centrally governed city characterized by its millennial heritage and creativity.

During the session, the Ninh Binh delegation will:

• Organize meetings and consultations with experts and scientists from UNESCO’s specialized bodies, including the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), regarding the conservation and promotion of the cultural and natural values of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex.

• Hold exhibitions, promote and introduce the outstanding global values of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, especially the achievements made during the 10 years since its recognition as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

• Organize activities to consult UNESCO experts and delegates from member states with World Heritage sites on heritage management experiences, management plans, models for World Heritage management, and the conservation and utilization of heritage values.

• Conduct meetings and exchanges to strengthen and promote friendly cooperation with localities in India, foster collaboration in developing spiritual tourism, preserve cultural and historical values, and promote tourism in the Indian market.

The participation of Ninh Binh and other localities with World Heritage sites in Vietnam, along with the Vietnamese delegation as a whole, in the annual session of the World Heritage Committee holds significant importance. It enables discussions and contributions to UNESCO’s policies on heritage preservation, management, and promotion, advocacy, monitoring, and protecting the rights of Vietnam’s World Heritage sites, providing clarifications on related issues if requested, and developing relationships between Vietnam’s heritage sites and those worldwide. Notably, this is the first session in which Vietnam participates as a member of the World Heritage Committee for the 2023-2027 term.

Translated by Nguyen Loan