The visit coincided with the delegation's participation in the ceremony to present the UNESCO certificate recognising the collection of composer Hoang Van as a World Documentary Heritage.
At the meeting, Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong emphasised that over the past 50 years, the cooperative relationship between Viet Nam and UNESCO has flourished, making a positive contribution to sustainable development goals.
Within the framework of the Memory of the World Programme, Viet Nam currently has 11 recognised documentary heritage items, including four World Documentary Heritage inscriptions and seven from the Asia-Pacific region. UNESCO’s recognition affirms the exceptional value of these documents and significantly contributes to the preservation and promotion of the nation’s cultural and historical heritages.
According to the deputy minister, the amended Law on Cultural Heritage — passed by the National Assembly in 2024 — will take effect on July 1, 2025. For the first time, documentary heritages and activities related to their protection and promotion are covered in a separate chapter of the law. This serves as a crucial legal foundation to ensure consistency and coherence in Viet Nam’s legal system, incorporate international conventions to which Viet Nam is a signatory, and facilitate deeper integration into the global cultural and heritage community.
The deputy minister called on UNESCO to continue its support, particularly in sharing experience in dossier preparation, conservation, and the promotion of documentary heritage in Viet Nam. He also requested assistance in training human resources, advising on policy development, and improving the legal framework in this field.
Dr Johannes Joseph Maria Bos expressed his delight at returning to Viet Nam and praised the effective cooperation between Viet Nam and UNESCO. He noted that Viet Nam, as an Asian country, possesses rich potential and a vast trove of historically significant documentary materials.
The International Advisory Committee was particularly impressed with the nomination dossier for composer Hoang Van’s collection. The process of receiving and reviewing the heritage dossier demonstrated the close and effective cooperation between Vietnamese authorities and UNESCO experts. This also reflects Viet Nam’s professional approach to heritage preservation and celebration. The inclusion of documentary heritage in the new law is a commendable effort that shows Viet Nam’s strong commitment to honouring and safeguarding documentary heritage.
On behalf of the Memory of the World Programme, Dr Fackson Banda congratulated Viet Nam on the inscription of composer Hoang Van’s collection as a World Documentary Heritage. He expressed admiration for Viet Nam’s rich cultural legacy and encouraged the country to continue researching, compiling, and nominating additional heritage dossiers. He also noted that Viet Nam’s long history and extensive archives provide ideal conditions to contribute more substantially to the Memory of the World Programme.
In response, Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong suggested that UNESCO assign experts to support training courses organised by the Department of Cultural Heritage in various localities to help improve capacity in compiling documentary heritage dossiers.
Additionally, the deputy minister proposed that UNESCO provide assistance in preserving ancient documents made from materials vulnerable to environmental and time-related degradation, such as stone, wood, and paper.
In 2025, Viet Nam is preparing two nomination dossiers for documentary heritage in the Asia-Pacific region: the system of stone steles in Pho Hien (Hung Yen Province) and Sino-Nom stone inscriptions on Non Nuoc Mountain (Ninh Binh Province). These UNESCO-recognised designations have enhanced public awareness, spurred conservation activities, led to the creation of unique cultural-tourism products, generated jobs, and attracted investment at the local level.
The ceremony to present the UNESCO certificate recognising composer Hoang Van’s collection as a World Documentary Heritage will take place at 8 PM on July 24, coinciding with the 95th birthday of the late composer — one of the most prominent figures in modern Vietnamese music.
