Kamal Malhotra, and the Chairwoman and CEO of the SOVICO Group, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao.

UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, Kamal Malhotra (left), and the Chairwoman and CEO of the SOVICO Group, Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, sign a Memorandum of Understanding that marks the cooperation of the Vietnamese corporation with the UN in support of the sustainable development goals. — Photo courtesy of the UNESCO

Noting that both parties share common interests in promoting youth engagement, green growth and the protection and promotion of natural and cultural heritages in Vietnam, the MoU establishes a long-term framework for action and calls on the parties to work to broaden this partnership with other Vietnamese businesses.

As a first step, SOVICO Group will collaborate with UNESCO, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) to support Hanoi’s development as UNESCO Creative City through the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage, revitalisation of craft villages and support for creative hubs to nurture the young creative talent of Hanoi.

Guided by the values of sustainability and respect for local culture, the partnership envisions the development of Hanoi as a creative capital, building on its creative past and the energy of its youth.

“This partnership with the UN to support Hanoi’s cultural heritage and development demonstrates the continued commitment of SOVICO Group to support the long-term development of Vietnam by supporting youth leadership to make a meaningful contribution to social, cultural and economic development in Vietnam,” said Thao.

“We also expect our co-operation with the UN through UNESCO technical assistance will help establish a SOVICO fund for Vietnam’s heritage and innovation to support even more initiatives and solutions for cultural and green city development, artistic and design activities as well as creative hubs to nurture creative talents, promoting entrepreneurship and innovation,” she added.

According to Malhotra, SOVICO Group is demonstrating its commitment to sustainable development in Vietnam and to the principles and values of the United Nations with this new partnership.

“We salute them for being pioneers among Vietnamese corporations and welcome them as partners. We hope that SOVICO’s example will inspire other Vietnamese private sector companies to take the necessary actions that will realise a sustainable future for Vietnam," he noted.

To realise the partnership and fulfil the commitments to support Hanoi, three UN organisations in Vietnam – UNESCO, UN Habitat and UNIDO – will launch the project 'Mobilising Cultural Resources and Youth Participation to Make Hanoi Become a Capital of Creativity'.

The project will be implemented with co-operation and sponsorship from SOVICO Group.

The project prioritises young Vietnamese talents with innovative solutions to protect, restore and promote tangible and intangible cultural heritages of Hanoi.

They will also be supported with favourable conditions to participate in programmes of promoting cultural creativity.

Some specific examples of activities to be carried out within the framework of the project include a photo contest about Hanoi – City of Creative Design, designing digital platforms to introduce outstanding creative works to the wider public, connecting young creative hubs or collaborating with businesses to organise a product design competition with high applicability, inspired by cultural heritage and traditional materials. VNS

Hanoi – UNESCO’s Creative City in Design category

There are 140 creative spaces in Vietnam, 60 of them in Hanoi, which offer diversified art genres: fine arts, fashion, architecture, cinematography, and street festivals.

Street festival promotes Hanoi’s diverse culture

A street cultural festival themed “Hanoi – Green Destination” took place at the pedestrian zone in the city downtown on June 27 evening, attracting thousands of local residents and visitors.