Dong Nai participates in the 5th UNESCO World Congress of Biosphere Reserves in China

A working delegation from Dong Nai province, led by Nguyen Thi Hoang, Member of Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairwoman of Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee, and Head of the Management Board of the Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve, attended the 5th UNESCO World Congress of Biosphere Reserves held in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang province, China, from September 22 to 25, 2025.

Nguyen Thi Hoang, Member of Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairwoman of the Dong Nai Provincial People's Committee, and Head of the Management Board of the Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve, speaks at a meeting with the UNESCO Assistant Director-General and the International MAB Secretariat. Photo: Courtesy of the contributor

The conference agenda focused primarily on evaluating the implementation of action plans for world biosphere reserves; discussing the roles and contributions of these reserves toward the Sustainable Development Goals through efforts to advance international agendas and commitments such as the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the Paris Agreement on climate change, and the United Nations Decade of Science for Sustainable Development; and reviewing and adopting the strategic action plan of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves for the upcoming period.

The Dong Nai provincial delegation and the Thai National MAB Committee delegation at a sideline event of the conference. Photo: Courtesy of the contributor

Notably, within the framework of the conference, the Dong Nai provincial delegation, in coordination with the Vietnam National MAB Committee and the Thailand National MAB Committee, successfully co-organized a side event under the theme “Growing Together: A 10-Year Vision from the Perspective of the Thai Biosphere Reserve Network and the Vietnam Biosphere Reserve Network.”

Accordingly, the Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve Management Board presented the outstanding activities of the Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve as well as cooperation initiatives carried out between the Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve and Thai Biosphere Reserves under the cooperation agreement signed since 2019. The two sides also discussed and set directions for future collaboration between the Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve and Thai Biosphere Reserves over the next five years.

The Vietnamese delegation attends the 5th UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve Congress in China. Photo: Courtesy of the contributor

At the conference, with the support of the UNESCO Vietnam Office, the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO, and the Vietnam National MAB Committee, the Dong Nai delegation held a meeting to report and exchange information on the management of the Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve with Lidia Arthur Brito, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, the Secretariat of the International MAB Programme, and the Secretariat of the World Network of Mountain Biosphere Reserves.

Speaking at the meeting, Nguyen Thi Hoang, Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chair of the Dong Nai People's Committee, and Head of the Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve Management Board, emphasized that Dong Nai is one of the pioneering localities in Vietnam in the conservation of natural resources. The Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve, recognized by UNESCO, is an invaluable asset not only for the province but also for the nation and the world. Dong Nai is fully aware of its responsibility to protect and promote this value. In recent years, the province has implemented numerous initiatives focused on forest restoration, biodiversity monitoring, sustainable livelihood models, and youth engagement, achieving many tangible results.

During the meeting, all parties highly valued the positive contributions of the Dong Nai Biosphere Reserve to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves and expressed the hope that it would continue to pay attention to and enhance its core values, aiming towards the principle: Conservation for development, development for conservation, and creating a harmonious living space between humans and nature.

On September 25, the Dong Nai delegation will have a working session with the Chair of the MAB International Coordinating Council (MAB ICC) and the Southeast Asian Biosphere Reserve Network.

By An Nhon - Translated by Dang Huyen, Minho