The Vietnam Federation of UNESCO Associations opened a representative office in Ho Chi Minh City on May 14 in an effort to expand and develop the federation’s activities in the city as well as other southern provinces and cities.

The Vice President and General Secretary of the Federation, Nguyen Xuan Thang, said that since its establishment in August 1993, the federation has attracted nearly 100 affiliates, comprising of provincial and municipal UNESCO associations, UNESCO centres and clubs with more than 5,000 official members.

The federation has a total of some 140,000 members in 45 provinces and cities across the country, he said.

In HCM City there are nearly 100 official members and more than 1,000 people who take an active part in the federation’s activities.

The Vietnam Federation of UNESCO Associations is one of the most prestigious non-governmental UNESCO organizations in the region, holding the post of vice president of the region’s UNESCO association and vice president of the world’s UNESCO association.

It specializes in part time education, vocational training, preserving tangible and intangible cultural identities and popularizing scientific information.