VN gets behind UNESCO reforms   Vital work: World Heritage Site Hoi An in Quang Nam Province. Viet Nam will continue to support reform efforts initiated by the Director General of UNESCO to help the organisation overcome current difficulties and enhance its effectiveness. - Photo hoianworldheritage.org.vn PARIS (VNS) - Viet Nam will continue to support reform efforts initiated by the Director General of UNESCO to help the organisation overcome current difficulties and enhance its effectiveness. Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son made the commitment at the 192nd session of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation's Executive Board on Monday in Paris. Son, who is also President of the National Vietnam Committee for UNESCO, said that Viet Nam applauds the organisation's decision to prioritise Education for All (EFA) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Viet Nam has recorded a number of achievements in implementing EFA and ESD, and is eager to share its experience with other member countries, Son said.   Firm friends: Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son meets with UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova. - Photo vietnamplus.vn He noted that the tripartite co-operation model under the ESD initiative involving UNESCO, the Ministry of Education and Training and Samsung had proved effective, contributing to student awareness of environmental protection. The diplomat also underscored UNESCO's conferment of tangible and intangible cultural heritage titles had made positive impacts on raising people's awareness of preserving and promoting the heritage's value. He reported that on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of UNESCO's 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in June this year, Viet Nam organised the Quang Nam Heritage Festival with the participation of ASEAN member countries, realising its high-level commitments to popularising the convention among localities. Son added that in December this year, Viet Nam would host a Viet Nam-ASEAN UNESCO Heritage Festival in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong to honour the tangible and intangible heritage of ASEAN members. Highlighting the significance of the role of science and technology, the diplomat said Viet Nam valued UNESCO's programmes, including those on Man and Biosphere (MAB), Memory of the World (MOW) and Global Geopark Network. The 192nd session of the UNESCO Executive Board will run from September 24 to October 11. In early discussions, members of the Executive Board agreed that the organisation has maintained its relevance and significance among all member countries. The effective reform programme initiated by Director-General Irina Bokova also received support from UNESCO members, who urged speeding up reform in the future. Before the session convened, Director-General Bokova hosted a reception for Deputy Foreign Minister Son, saying she and members of the Executive Board recognised Viet Nam's actitive and constructive contributions to UNESCO's operations. Viet Nam, a significant source of cultural heritage, deserved to be a heritage pillar in the ASEAN community, she said, adding that the first Viet Nam-ASEAN UNESCO Heritage Festival to be hosted by Viet Nam would be an important event in strengthening ASEAN's efforts to preserve cultural heritage. Bokova expressed hope that Viet Nam would promote its role in conserving natural, tangible and intangible heritage. - VNA/VNS