SDGs - one of the important parts of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

At the discussion session, participants heard introductory remarks on "Promoting respect for cultural diversity in support of sustainable development" by: former Advisor to the Director-General of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Professor at the University of Pavia (Italy) Maurizio Bona; President of Rencontres du Vietnam, Director of the International Center for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE), Professor Jean Tran Thanh Van; Standing Member of the Vietnamese National Assembly's Committee for Culture and Education Bui Hoai Son; and recorded speeches of Assistant Director-General for the Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO Gabriela Ramos; Andy Williamson, Senior Researcher at the IPU Centre for Innovation in Parliament; and Miguel Ángel Moratinos, a representative of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations.

Paying attention to the important role of parliaments, especially young parliamentarians at this conference, Miguel Ángel Moratinos stated that the conference took place at a time when the 78th UN General Assembly is discussing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and responses to initial challenges the world is facing, thereby setting directions for promoting actions to fulfill the goals. SDGs are one of the important parts of the MDGs, Miguel Ángel Moratinos affirmed.

Speaking at the session, Standing Member of the Vietnamese National Assembly's Committee for Culture and Education Bui Hoai Son stated clearly that as a country with a rich history and traditional culture, Vietnam has been implementing and constantly improving institutions and policies follow the consistent motto of "taking Vietnamese cultural and people values as the important foundation and internal strength for ensuring sustainable development".

Vietnam's Platform for National Construction in the transitional period towards socialism (supplemented, developed 2011) has identified major and important directions in the process of national development, including prominent contents related to promoting cultural diversity and respecting cultures of ethnic groups towards sustainable development goals such as: "Building an advanced Vietnamese culture deeply imbued with national identity, with comprehensive development, unity in diversity, the spirit of humanity, democracy and progress; making culture closely linked and permeated into the entire social life, becoming a solid spiritual foundation, an important endogenous power for development; inheriting and promoting the fine cultural traditions of the Vietnamese ethnic groups, absorbing the quintessence of human culture, building a democratic, fair, civilized society for genuine interests and human dignity, with increasingly high levels of knowledge, morality, physical strength and aesthetics.

Son also said that the National Assembly of Vietnam pays attention to and focuses on perfecting the legal system and promulgating policies to promote respect for cultural diversity in support of sustainable development. The Constitution - the fundamental law with the highest legal value affirming the equal rights of all nations, emphasizes that all the ethnicities are equal and unite with, respect, and assist one another for mutual development; all acts of discrimination against and division of the ethnicities are prohibited. Every ethnic group has the right to use its own spoken and written language to preserve its own identity and to promote its fine customs, practices, traditions, and culture. The National Assembly has promulgated laws on beliefs and religions, cultural heritage, advertisement and libraries as well as national target programs on culture, mountainous ethnic groups, and poverty reduction. It has regularly implemented supervision and Q&A activities to ensure that cultural diversity issues are respected and observed during the implementation of the country's major programs.

Culture - a pillar of sustainable development

After the introductory remarks, participants discussed the role of parliaments and young parliamentarians in promoting respect for cultural diversity in the context of technological transformation and globalization, focusing on digital cooperation based on ethics and minimizing the unwanted impacts of digital transformation on privacy, security and happiness; promoting the role of culture in development policies at the national, regional and international levels; commitments to protecting and promoting cultural diversity; creating a favorable environment and ecosystem for culture and cultural diversity; the role of culture and cultural diversity in sustainable development.

Speaking on behalf of the Vietnamese delegation at the session, full-time member of the Vietnamese National Assembly's National Defense and Security Committee Trinh Xuan An stated that cultural diversity is a decisive factor for the wealth and abundance of natural resources, thereby increasing opportunities for economic development, creating prosperity for each country. In the context of globalization, countries need to continue to preserve and promote their own cultural identities, with mutual respect for cultural diversity among nations. At the same time, they should share with each other and promote the common cultural quintessence of humanity for mutual development.

Ensuring the principle of mutual respect will make countries and cultures cooperate, dialogue, build trust and share for coexistence and mutual development instead of creating conflicts and contradictions. For this meaning, promoting respect for cultural diversity will help together build a universal culture - a culture of diversity.

Emphasizing this, Trinh Xuan An recommended that parliaments should affirm the role of culture as a pillar of sustainable development and implement the UN 2030 Agenda, as well as promote the role of culture in development policies at the national, regional and international levels. They should be committed to protecting and promoting cultural diversity; create a favorable environment and ecosystem for culture and cultural diversity; affirming the role of the creative economy and cultural industries; developing a system of cities under the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.

 "It is necessary to affirm the role of culture and cultural diversity in the process of solving difficulties and challenges facing humanity today, especially climate change, illegal trading and transportation of cultural property", the representative of the Vietnamese delegation emphasized./.