Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang: Message about a proactive, positive, responsible Vietnam, ready to promote cooperation for a sustainable ocean

According to Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's attendance and contributions at the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference clearly demonstrate Vietnam's initiative and commitment to working with the international community to solve global issues, in line with sustainable marine economic development orientations.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with French President Emmanuel Macron during his official visit to France in November 2021. (Source: VGP)

On the occasion of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife and the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation attending the 3rd United Nations High-Level Conference in support of the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development (also known as the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference), conducting bilateral activities in the Republic of France, Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang gave an interview to The Gioi va Viet Nam Newspaper, emphasizing the message Vietnam wants to convey as well as the highlights in the Conference's agenda.

Vietnamese Ambassador to France Dinh Toan Thang. (Source: Vietnamese Embassy in France)

How does the Ambassador assess the purpose and significance of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife and the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation attending the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference in France?

At the invitation of United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and French President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation will attend the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), participate in many activities held in the city of Nice and the neighboring Principality of Monaco, and will combine to conduct various high-level bilateral meetings and contacts with France.

The Prime Minister's participation and contribution at UNOC3 clearly demonstrates Vietnam's initiative and commitment to working with the international community to solve global issues, in line with the important orientations of our Party and State in developing a sustainable marine economy.

This working trip is an important step in concretizing Vietnam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, diversification, deep international integration, promoting and elevating multilateral diplomacy as well as strengthening Vietnam's relations with major and important partners.

Over the years, Vietnam has always affirmed its role as an active and responsible member of the international community, complying with international law, especially the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Vietnam has also been proactive in conserving and sustainably using the sea and marine resources and is ready to contribute to international efforts in this field. Participating and contributing to UNOC3 is an opportunity for Vietnam to introduce its achievements in implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG-14), while exchanging international experiences and enhancing cooperation in science, technology, equipment and finance for the implementation of SDG-14 in the country.

From a bilateral perspective, this is Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh's second visit to France following his trip in 2021, which has special significance after Vietnam and France upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in October 2024 during the visit to France to attend the Francophone Summit by General Secretary and President To Lam and right after the visit to Vietnam at the end of May by French President Emmanuel Macron. The trip is an opportunity to strengthen high-level contacts between Vietnam and France, sign and continue to implement the contents of the bilateral relationship at a high level.

The exchanges between the two countries on this occasion demonstrated the positive and dynamic development of the Vietnam-France Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Active participation in UNOC3 and other sideline events is also an important continuation of cooperation and exchanges between Vietnam and both France and Monaco in the maritime sector.

Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu, Head of the Vietnamese delegation attending the 2nd United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, July 2022. (Source: Vietnamese Mission to the UN)

What are the highlights of the UNOC3 agenda? How is Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expected to participate and contribute to that agenda?

The 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) is a strategic international event, guiding the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG-14 on the conservation and sustainable use of the ocean. The agenda of UNOC3 revolves around two main contents: "Urgent action for the ocean" and "Conservation and sustainable development of the ocean", with the aim of promoting the implementation of SDG-14.

Highlights of the agenda include promoting commitments to reduce marine pollution, protect biodiversity, develop the blue economy and enhance the resilience of coastal communities. The conference also discusses financial mechanisms, science and technology, global partnerships, and enhancing the role of developing countries in ocean management. At the same time, UNOC3 creates a space for dialogue among stakeholders on innovative and sustainable solutions for the ocean.

At UNOC3, the Prime Minister will deliver an important speech, affirming that Vietnam has been implementing many drastic measures to conserve and sustainably use the sea. The Prime Minister will convey the message of a proactive, positive, responsible Vietnam, ready to promote cooperation for a peaceful, stable, sustainable and prosperous ocean, while demonstrating its commitment to contributing to international efforts to effectively implement SDG-14.

In addition, the Prime Minister will co-chair the World Delta Summit, an event of particular interest to many countries affected by climate change and rising sea levels. The Prime Minister will also speak at the Green Economy and Finance Forum, a side event of UNOC3 hosted by Monaco.

On this occasion, Vietnam will also make voluntary commitments to demonstrate its determination to implement the SDGs in general and SDG-14 in particular, affirming the urgency of using the seas peacefully, as well as conserving and sustainably using the seas and oceans.

The national flag flies in the area of ​​Sinh Ton Dong island, Truong Sa archipelago, April 2023. (Photo: Nguyen Hong)

The theme of this conference is “Promoting action and mobilizing all stakeholders to conserve and use the ocean sustainably”. What is the significance of this theme to Vietnam and other countries in the world in the current context?

The theme of the UNOC3 Conference carries an urgent and comprehensive message, reflecting the “emergency” that the world is facing. In the current context, mobilizing the efforts of not only national governments, but also the entire system of stakeholders, including the scientific community, the private sector, civil society organizations and individual citizens, is the first step to create real change. The theme of this Conference is not only symbolic, but also a clear and urgent call to action.

For Vietnam, this topic is particularly meaningful and practical for three main reasons. Firstly, Vietnam is a country with more than 3,200 km of coastline, closely linked to the livelihoods of millions of people in the fisheries, tourism and maritime transport sectors. Negative impacts on the ocean directly affect the livelihoods, food security and sustainable development of the country. Rising sea levels, coastal erosion, declining fishing grounds and plastic waste pollution are evident in many coastal areas of Vietnam, requiring us to take timely and systematic actions.

Second, Vietnam is well aware that ocean protection cannot be a solo effort, but requires close coordination between levels, sectors and the international community. Therefore, this theme opens up opportunities for Vietnam to connect domestic initiatives with the global cooperation network.

Third, this theme also provides a platform to encourage the participation of the private sector and local communities, to promote innovation in the field of blue economy, green investment and the use of clean technology in ocean management.

For the international community, the UNOC3 theme is a push to move from awareness to concrete action, from commitments on paper to practical results. The increasingly warm ocean, the rapid increase in acidification and the sharp decline in biodiversity are no longer distant scientific warnings, but are directly affecting the daily lives of billions of people.

Therefore, UNOC3 is an important forum for countries to assess the situation, share experiences, strengthen cooperation and propose practical initiatives to restore the health of the ocean - the common treasure of humanity.

Nice - beautiful coastal city of France. (Source: CIA-France)

This conference is held in Nice - a beautiful coastal city of France. Could the Ambassador share some information about Nice and the potential for cooperation with Vietnamese localities?

Nice has great potential for cooperation with Vietnam. As the fifth largest city in France, Nice is not only famous for its natural beauty, mild climate and idyllic beaches, but also a dynamic economic center in the Côte d'Azur region of France.

Nice is one of the world’s leading tourist destinations, with extensive experience in sustainable tourism development, destination management and providing high-end tourism services. This is an area where Vietnam can learn and cooperate to improve the quality and develop more diverse tourism products, especially when Vietnam is also making efforts to develop the smokeless industry.

With its favorable geographical location and history closely linked to the sea, Nice has a strong and diverse marine economy, including a bustling seaport with a cargo throughput of about 3.5 million tons per year. Vietnam, with its coastline of more than 3,200 km and a sustainable marine economic development strategy, can seek cooperation opportunities in seaport management, maritime logistics and the development of blue ocean economic sectors.

Nice is also home to research and innovation centers in many fields, especially high technology and marine environmental protection. The city is home to many prestigious research institutes and universities, contributing about 15% of France's total patents in the high-tech field. This is an opportunity for coastal localities in Vietnam to learn from experience, transfer technology and cooperate in research on solutions to protect the marine environment and manage marine resources intelligently.

Increasing cultural exchanges, student exchanges, or establishing specialized training programs on marine tourism and marine environmental management between Nice and Vietnamese localities will contribute to further tightening bilateral relations. Some Vietnamese localities have had connections with Nice for many years, such as Can Tho city.

Participation in events on the occasion of UNOC3 such as the conference connecting coastal regions and cities to respond to climate change continues to open up opportunities for cooperation between localities, contributing to concretizing the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and France.

Thank you very much Ambassador!

"The Prime Minister's participation and contribution to UNOC3 clearly demonstrates Vietnam's proactiveness and commitment to working with the international community to address global issues, in line with the important orientations of our Party and State in developing a sustainable marine economy. This working trip is an important step in concretizing the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, diversification, deep international integration, promoting and elevating multilateral diplomacy as well as strengthening Vietnam's relations with major and important partners." (Ambassador Dinh Toan Thang)

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/dai-su-dinh-toan-thang-thong-diep-ve-mot-viet-nam-chu-dong-timch-cuc-co-trach-nhiem-san-sang-thuc-day-hop-tac-vi-dai-duong-ben-vung-316463.html