Hanoi (VNA) ꦜ– Culturaldiversity plays an important role in fully realising human rights and basicfreedom, enhancing the role and status of women in the society and creating socialcohesion and harmony, and it is necessary to integrate culturaldiversity into national and international development policies, said Bui Hoai Son, a permanentmember of the National Assembly’s Committee of Culture and Education, onSeptember 16.

In his remarks at the third session on promoting respectfor cultural diversity in support of sustainable development within theframework of the ongoing 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians,Son said that given the current context of deeper internationalintegration, the role of cultural diversity is increasingly important. Respectingand promoting cultural diversity helps strengthen dialogues among civilisations,enhance understanding, and increase mutual respect among countries andpeoples, he went on. Thanks to the attention of the Party, State, and NationalAssembly of Vietnam, the cause of cultural development has achieved manyimportant achievements which are highly appreciated by Vietnamese ethnic groupsas well as international organisations and friends, Son noted. However, he saidthat cultural diversity in Vietnam as well as in many countries is facing manychallenges, especially non-traditional ones of a digital era and globalisation,which seriously affect the sustainability of cultural heritage and cultures ofethnic groups. Son highlighted the significant role and value of culture asa driving force for sustainable development and implementation of the UnitedNations 2030 Agenda, promoting the role of culture in development policies atthe national, regional and international levels, making culture an independentgoal of sustainable development. National parliaments are a key factor in affirming andfostering the role of culture in sustainable development, building andperfecting a people-centred policy, he said. Moroccan parliamentarianKamal Ait Mik, a member of the leadershipof IPU Forum of Young Parliamentarians, said that interreligious andinter-cultural dialogues and the promotion of cultural diversity are very necessary,adding that they should aim at vulnerable people such as women, children,migrants, young people, and the disabled. In her pre-recordedspeech at the session, Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for Social andSciences of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO),said UNESCO has made many efforts and specific plans to encourage young peopleto join in solving major problems, strengthening the role of young people,providing appropriate tools and frameworks to strengthen political dialogues andpromote inclusive youth participation. UNESCO will callfor more active participation of young people in the process of implementingthe Sustainable Development Goals in the upcoming conference in Mexico, she added. The third session focused on discussing the role ofparliamentarians and young parliamentarians in promoting respect for culturaldiversity in the context of technological transformation and globalisation.Specifically, it mulled over collaboration to minimise unwanted impact of digital transformation on privacy,security and well-being. Promoting the role of culture in development policiesat the national, regional and international levels as well as commitment to createa favourable environment and ecosystem for culture and cultural diversity and therole of culture and cultural diversity in sustainable development were alsotouched upon./.