Ms. DUONG Bich Hanh joined the UNESCO Regional Office for East Asia in Beijing in August 2022 to manage the UNESCO culture programme in the five East Asian countries. Prior to this, she spent 13 years at the UNESCO Ha Noi and Bangkok Offices, supporting the Mekong cluster countries to implement UNESCO’s six cultural conventions and promoting the role of culture and creativity in sustainable development. She also directed a number of UNESCO regional programmes such as the Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, and was involved in the conceptualization and implementation of new initiatives like the UNESCO Competence Framework for Heritage Management, Teaching and Learning with Living Heritage in the Asia-Pacific, and TechCul – enhancing the role of digital technology for culture.
Ms. Hanh started her career in 1994 working with non-government organizations, international organizations, research institutes and universities on various issues concerning indigenous peoples, community development, public health, heritage safeguarding and social research. She received her Doctorate Degree in Anthropology and Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington in 2006.