Press release

The United Nations and SOVICO Group collaborate to place culture at the heart of sustainable development in Viet Nam

Press release
The United Nations and SOVICO Group collaborate
to place culture at the heart of sustainable development in Viet Nam
 
Ha Noi, 23 September 2020 – Ushering in a new chapter of development cooperation in Viet Nam, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the United Nations (UN) and SOVICO Group was signed in Ha Noi by the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam, Mr. Kamal Malhotra and the Chairwoman and CEO of the SOVICO Group, Madame Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao. This partnership between SOVICO Group and the UN marks the first strategic cooperation of a Vietnamese corporation with the UN in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.
 
Noting that both parties share common interests in promoting youth engagement, green growth and the protection and promotion of natural and cultural heritage in Viet Nam, the MoU establishes a long-term framework for action, and calls on the parties to work together to broaden this partnership with other like-minded Vietnamese businesses. As a first step, SOVICO Group will collaborate with UNESCO, UNIDO and UN-Habitat to support Ha Noi’s development as a UNESCO Creative City through the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage, revitalization of craft villages and support for creative hubs to nurture the young creative talent of Ha Noi. Guided by the values of sustainability and respect for local culture, this partnership envisions the development of Ha Noi as a “Creative Capital” whose development builds on its creative past and the energy of its youth.
 
Speaking to the gathering of interested government ministries, city officials and international partners, Madame Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao stressed that “This partnership with the United Nations to support Ha Noi’s cultural heritage and development demonstrates the continued commitment of SOVICO, with Vietjet, HDBank, Phu Long, the joint venture of Bac An Khanh and its affiliates to support the long-term development of Viet Nam by supporting youth leadership to make a meaningful contribution to social, cultural and economic development in Viet Nam. We also expect our cooperation with the United Nations through UNESCO technical assistance will help establish a SOVICO Fund for Viet Nam’s Heritage & 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”.
Mr. Kamal Malhotra shared: “With this new partnership, SOVICO Group are demonstrating their commitment to sustainable development in Viet Nam and to the principles and values of the United Nations. 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 realize a sustainable future for Viet Nam.”
The event was attended by senior government representatives and development partners who signaled their strong support to this innovative public-private partnership and their hope for new initiatives that unite the private sector, development partners and government to support sustainable development and help Viet Nam realize its objectives in the Decade of Action for the SDGs.
 
For further information, please contact: 
 
Ms. Nguyen Thu Thuy, Communications Manager, SOVICO Group
, +84-(0)91 354 1386
Mr. Trinh Anh Tuan, Communications Officer, UN Resident Coordinator’s Office
, Mobile: +84-(0)90 329 6393
Ms. Dinh Thu Huong, Communications & Media Officer, UNIDO
, Mobile: +84-(0)91 330 1539
Ms. Hoang Thu Huyen, Communications Officer, UNESCO
, Mobile: +84-(0)85 828 8266