(VOVWORLD) Vietnam was elected by UNESCO member states as a member of the Executive Board for the 2021-2025 term at a plenary session of the UNESCO General Assembly held on Wednesday at its Paris-based headquarters.
 The President of the UNESCO General Assembly announces the election results |
Winning 163 out of 178 approval votes, Vietnam will also become a member of the UNESCO Executive Board for the fifth time.
The UNESCO Executive Board is one of the three constitutional organs of the UN agency (the others being the General Conference and the Secretariat) and it is elected by the General Conference.
The Board consists of 58 members, acting under the authority of the General Conference the Board examines the program of work for the Organization and corresponding budget estimates submitted to it by the Director-General.
In Group 4 Asian and Pacific States, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Cook Islands and China also got elected to the Executive Board.
 Mai Phan Dung, secretary general of the UNESCO Vietnam National Committee |
According to Mai Phan Dung, secretary general of the UNESCO Vietnam National Committee, Vietnam’s election to the UNESCO Executive Board shows the country's increasing position and prestige in the international arena, and is the recognition of the international community for Vietnam's contributions to its relationship with UNESCO. This is the result of Vietnam's foreign policy of multilateralization, diversification and comprehensive and extensive international integration, said Mr. Dung.
Becoming a member of the Executive Board is a good opportunity for Vietnam to demonstrate its "double responsibility": protecting national interests, taking advantage of UNESCO's ideas and initiatives to serve national construction and development and making substantial contributions to international issues of UNESCO’s interests, the Vietnamese official said.