Vietnamese diplomat had excellent interview for UNESCO chief post

After 90-minute-interview on April 27 in Paris (France), Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau revealed he among those excellent candidates continue to enter Round 3 for the post. 

Mr Pham Sanh Chau at the interview for UNESCO Director General Position

During the interview live broadcasted on UNESCO website, Pham Sanh Chau, Vietnam's ambassador to UNESCO Affairs, drew out 3 strategic visions in his platform of UNESCO development.
Those visions, according to Chau, include peace promotion, reform demand and especially, UNESCO should change the approach, communication measures: “UNESCO need to PR its self”, Chau said. 

He attended the interview with confidence.

After 10-minute speech, Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau received numerous interview questions from international representatives. Answering Germany representative that, how he would take charge of UNESCO G-D post once elected, Ambassador Chau said, he would make effort to become reliable, caring friends to connect all the members.
Also during the interview, he confirmed that if elected, his 1st priority is to ensure UNESCO transparency, without scandal and graft. “If I become new general director (of UNESCO), with your support, I will lead UNESCO to a stronger organization, a more united, worthy and happier general house”, Chau said.
Ending the interview, Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau left sincere sharing: “I come from Vietnam, a country suffering from decades of war but rise up with forgiveness and toleration. I come from Vietnam, a country successfully transformed socio-economic and wish to share our story, a country with desire to make friends with all countries over the world”.
After the interview, Ambassador Pham Sanh Chau share on his Facebook account that, “Top of  the top” is compliment from friends for his excellent performance. UNESCO has 9 candidates on shortlist for the chief position. Polad Bulbuloglu (Azerbaijan), Pham Sanh Chau (Vietnam), Moushira Khattab (Egypt), Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kawari (Qatar), Qian Tang (China), Juan Alfonso Fuentes Soria (Guatemala), Saleh Al-Hasnawi (Iraq), Vera El Khoury Lacoeuilh (Lebanon) and Audrey Azoulay (France) are among the official candidates. The interview took place during the past two day (April 26 – 27). Chau is the 6th interviewee.
The Director-General is nominated by the Executive Board and appointed by the General Conference for a period of four years. The person to be nominated by the Executive Board shall be chosen by secret ballot, in a vote that will take place during the Board's 202nd session in October 2017. Subsequently, the Chairperson of the Board will inform the General Conference, during its 39th session in November 2017, of the candidate nominated by the Board. The General Conference shall consider this nomination and then elect, by secret ballot, the person proposed by the Executive Board.
On April 28, nominees will attend the extra round to present fundamental programme in French in front of representatives from 70 French-speaking countries.
This is the first time Vietnam has proposed a nominee for the position. Pham Sanh Chau was the Vietnamese ambassador to Belgium and the EU from 2011 to 2014. He had engaged in many UNESCO education, culture and heritage activities.
In 1999, as Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Viet Nam to UNESCO, he contributed remarkably for UNESCO recognizing and giving title “City of Peace” for Hanoi – the capital. He also took part in campaigning for Phong Nha – Ke Bang (famous site of Vietnam) to be recognized by UNESCO as Worldwide Nature Heritage.
Ambassador Chau is proficient in English and French, and used to be translator for numerous high-ranking leaders of Vietnam during 1986-1996.