"Ha Noi is my childhood. I often walked along the Ngo Quyen street, went to school on Ham Long street, drew the first paintings, learned to sing, learned to dance in the Children's Palace, learned household arts from my relatives living in the Old Quarter. These peaceful and simple childhood memories have followed me across the world throughout my business life. I have a long desire to contribute to the city, no matter how big or small." - Madame Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, Chairwoman and CEO of SOVICO Group, ranked by Forbes Magazine as #52 of the top 100 most powerful women in the world
These were the opening remarks of Madame Nguyen Thi Phuong Thao, CEO of SOVICO Group and Viet Nam's most successful businesswoman, at the signing ceremony marking the start of a Partnership between SOVICO Group and UNESCO in Ha Noi on 23 September 2020.
This landmark agreement, which supports a UNESCO-led initiative to mobilize youth engagement and cultural dynamics to support Ha Noi's new designation as a new UNESCO Creative City, is the first time since Viet Nam joined the United Nations in 1977 that a United Nations agency enters into a direct partnership with a Vietnamese corporation, opening up new possibilities with for SDG financing in the country.
