Provincial Party Secretary Tran Hong Minh recieved UNESCO Assistant Director General for Natural Sciences

Mr Ha Kim Ngoc, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chair of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO; Mr Be Thanh Tinh, Member of the Standing Committee and Head of the Provincial Party Committee’s Propaganda Department; Mr Trinh Truong Huy, Provincial Party Committee Member, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee; and leaders from various provincial departments and agencies also attended to the meeting.

At the meeting, Provincial Party Secretary Tran Hong Minh expressed his pleasure in welcoming the UNESCO delegation, especially Ms. Lidia Brito, for accepting the invitation to visit and attend the 8th APGN Conference in Cao Bang. The delegation’s visit holds great significance for Cao Bằng, fostering solidarity and friendship, and further deepening the cooperative relationship between Vietnam and UNESCO as a whole.

He shared that Cao Bằng is the second locality in Vietnam to receive the UNESCO Global Geopark designation, awarded by the UNESCO Council in April 2018. The Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark, located in northern Vietnam about 300 kilometers far from Hanoi, has an area of more than 3,683 square kilometers. It is a rare land where visitors can explore over 500 million years of Earth’s history. Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark is blessed with stunning and renowned natural landmarks, including Ban Gioc Waterfall, Nguom Ngao Cave, Thang Hen Lake, and Phja Oac - Phja Den National Park.Cao Bang has a rich cultural history and is a land abundant in tangible cultural heritage, represented through a network of heritage sites and monuments, many of which are recognized as national and provincial special relics and treasures. The geological, biodiversity, historical, and scenic landscape values, along with the intangible cultural heritage of the Non Nuoc Cao Bang UNESCO Global Geopark, have created a distinctive global geopark, unique in its outstanding values compared to other global geoparks.

Through the formation and development of Global Geopark in the 2015-2024 stage, Cao Bang's tourism sector has experienced substantial growth, driven by the establishment and progress of the Non Nuoc Cao Bang Global Geopark. Building on these achievements, Cao Bang is committed to further developing Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark in line with UNESCO criteria. The province also aims to strengthen community and school-based education and awareness about the geopark, expand the network of geopark partners committed to social and environmental responsibility, preserve heritage sites alongside tourism development, and support vulnerable community groups to ensure all residents benefit from economic and social development gains.
Cao Bang hopes that UNESCO will continue to support and assist Vietnam in general and Cao Bang province in particular in preserving and promoting the value of global geoparks to serve the sustainable socio-economic development of the locality.

Ms. Lidia Brito, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, expressed her gratitude for the warm and respectful reception from the leaders of Cao Bang province towards the working delegation. She also sympathized with the difficulties and losses that Vietnam, including Cao Bang province, is facing in dealing with the aftermath of recent floods. Ms. Brito emphasized that the Non Nuoc Cao Bang Geopark is a model of effective cooperation with UNESCO, and that Vietnam is a proactive and active member state that consistently proposes strategic initiatives and recommendations on UNESCO’s shared issues. In her role, she will continue to connect geoparks within the network and further strengthen cooperation between UNESCO and Vietnam. On this occasion, Ms. Lidia Brito also congratulated the Lang Son Geopark (Vietnam) on its recent election by the international council of experts to join the network.

In his speech at the courtesy meeting, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ha Kim Ngoc highly appreciated Cao Bang province for its thorough preparations for the 8th APGN Conference despite facing challenging conditions. On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, he extended condolences for the losses in lives and property that Cao Bang has suffered due to severe flooding and natural disasters. He also expressed special thanks to Ms. Lidia Brito for traveling a long and difficult journey to attend the symposium in Cao Bang, reflecting UNESCO's commitment to solidarity and support for Vietnam in protecting and promoting the values of global geoparks, including Cao Bang. Cao Bang Geopark is a model of preserving and safeguarding natural values while contributing to socio-economic development.

The 8th APGN Conference in Cao Bang is not only an event for Cao Bang province but also a celebration for all localities that hold UNESCO titles, helping to position Cao Bang in particular, and Vietnamese localities in general, on the world heritage map. Organizing the 8th APGN symposium also reaffirms Vietnam’s role as an active, responsible member that makes meaningful contributions to UNESCO’s shared goals, simultaneously, it is also an opportunity to share and exchange experiences to continuously improve the building, management, and promotion of global geoparks in line with sustainable development goals. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO have consistently supported Cao Bang and other localities on their journey to preserve and promote the values of UNESCO-recognized titles.