PARIS (VNS)— The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has adopted a resolution honouring Vietnamese poet Nguyen Du and other world-famous people at its ongoing 37th General Assembly in Paris.

Speaking on the sidelines of the UNESCO General Assembly, Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son, who is also Chairman of the Viet Nam National UNESCO Commission, said the resolution was a great honour for Viet Nam.

According to Son, UNESCO recognised Nguyen Du's The Tale of Kieu, an epic poem written in Nom (ancient Vietnamese script), for its creativity, independent thinking and distillation of Vietnamese culture.

The masterpiece has been translated into over 20 foreign languages so far.

Nguyen Du was recognised by the World Peace Council as one of the world's cultural celebrities in 1965.

Side by side

Deputy Foreign Minister Son stated that Viet Nam would continue backing reform efforts carried out by UNESCO Director General Irina Bokava to enhance the organisation's status and role.

Speaking to the 37th General Assembly of the UNESCO in Paris on Friday, he said Viet Nam would stand side by side with UNESCO to host major regional events.

He also noted Viet Nam's efforts to achieve education reform, with 20 per cent of the annual State budget allocated to education. The country completed the universalisation of secondary education and is on track to universalise high school education.

As part of the UNESCO's Education for All (EFA) and the 2005-14 Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) schemes, Viet Nam is actively rolling out its National Action Plan for All for the 2013-15 period while building a learning society and a network of community study centres.

Son said Viet Nam highly valued UNESCO's role in preserving the world's tangible and intangible heritages.

Viet Nam celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in Ninh Binh Province in 2012 and the 10th anniversary of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Quang Nam Province in June. Son said the events manifested Viet Nam's high-level commitments to popularising the conventions.

Regarding ASEAN-UNESCO cooperation, the Deputy Minister said Viet Nam applauded the signing of a co-operation framework agreement, which brought the ASEAN Community closer to achieving its socio-economic pillar by 2015.

Receiving Son the same day, UNESCO Director General Bokava praised Viet Nam for its active and effective contributions as a member of the UNESCO Executive Board for the 2009-13 tenure, which she said had offered its members valuable lessons in co-operation.

She also hailed Viet Nam's suggestions for overcoming difficulties.—VNS