Duong Bich Hanh / UNESCO Culture Programme Specialist for East Asia (dbhanh@unesco.org) joined the UNESCO Office for East Asia in August 2022 and manages UNESCO's cultural programmes for South Korea, North Korea, China, Japan, and Mongolia. Previously, she worked for 13 years at UNESCO offices in Hanoi and Bangkok, supporting Mekong countries in implementing UNESCO's six cultural conventions and promoting the role of culture and creativity in sustainable development. She also led several UNESCO Asia-Pacific regional programmes, including the Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, and participated in the conceptualization and implementation of new initiatives such as the UNESCO Heritage Management Capacity Framework, Education and Learning with Living Heritage, and TechCul โ Empowering the Role of Digital Technologies for Culture. Hanh began her career in 1994, working on various issues related to indigenous peoples, community development, public health, heritage protection, and social research at non-governmental organizations, international organizations, research institutes, and universities. In 2006, she obtained a Ph.D. in Anthropology and a Master's degree in Public Administration from the University of Washington.
