Vietnam Marks 20 Years of UNESCO Heritage Safeguarding Efforts

via Saigon Giai Phong, 26 December 2023: A workshop in Hanoi, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, brought together experts and artisans to discuss Vietnam’s achievements in preserving intangible cultural heritage. Vietnam, an early adopter of this UNESCO convention, has integrated heritage protection into its cultural laws. The workshop highlighted Vietnam’s proactive role, including being the first to request the removal of an element (Xoan singing) from UNESCO’s urgent safeguarding list. With 15 UNESCO-recognized heritages, including Nha Nhac and Quan Ho Bac Ninh Folk Songs, Vietnam continues to advance its preservation efforts.

The event was jointly held by the Vietnam Cultural Heritage Association and the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003 Convention). Vietnam was one of the first 30 countries to join this important international convention on September 5, 2005.

Participants said Vietnam was one of the first countries that included matters regarding intangible cultural heritage in their cultural heritage laws, which, they said, has significantly contributed to cultural heritage preservation achievements over the past 20 years, and balancing conservation and promotion activities.

Nong Quoc Thanh, Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said Vietnam was the first country to ask the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage to remove a heritage element from the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding, referring to the case of Xoan singing, a folk music genre in Vietnam.

Source: Workshop discusses safeguarding of precious intangible cultural heritages | SGGP English Edition