Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu speaks at the SPLOS-34 Conference. |
2024 marks the 30th anniversary of the Convention coming into force, and also the 30th anniversary of Vietnam's official ratification of the Convention. Through its participation, speeches and discussions at the Conference, Vietnam affirms its role as an active and responsible member of the international community, one of the leading countries in promoting, respecting and implementing the Convention; contributing to the common efforts of the international community in the management and sustainable use of seas and oceans, resolving disputes by peaceful means, responding to climate change and promoting sustainable development.
Permanent Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Vu emphasized the role and importance of the Convention as the “Constitution of the Oceans” - a comprehensive legal document regulating all activities of countries in the field of seas and oceans, which is an important basis for the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 14 on the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources; at the same time, he highlighted a number of emerging challenges to the implementation of the Convention in recent times such as marine environmental pollution, over-exploitation of seas and marine resources, the development of new marine technology, the development of various types of crimes at sea, escalating regional tensions, global hotspots and unilateral actions of countries that threaten maritime safety and security... Vietnam calls on member countries to continue implementing the Convention in good faith, especially enhancing comprehensive cooperation on seas and oceans.
Permanent Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Vu informed the Conference about Vietnam's efforts and achievements in implementing the Convention, especially recently, Vietnam was one of the first countries to sign the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), actively participated in the process of seeking advice from the Tribunal on the Law of the Sea on climate change as well as the results of Vietnam's maritime cooperation with countries in the region.
Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu and the Vietnamese delegation at the SPLOS-34 Conference. |
Regarding the East Sea, the Head of the Vietnamese delegation proposed that member countries implement maritime policies responsibly and legally, together ensuring peace, stability, prosperity and sustainable development.
The head of the Vietnamese delegation affirmed that a peaceful and stable environment for sustainable development in the East Sea can only be ensured when countries establish their maritime zones in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and seriously exercise sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction under the convention as well as maintain self-restraint to jointly resolve disputes by peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Charter and UNCLOS; affirmed that Vietnam always strives with countries in the region to promote respect for the Convention, fully implement the DOC and negotiate to achieve a substantive, effective COC in accordance with international law.
In addition to the general issues of respecting and implementing the Convention, the Vietnamese delegation also assessed that the agencies established under the Convention have made important contributions to establishing legal order in the field of seas and oceans, maintaining peace and maritime security and achieved many results in the past year, including the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) and the Seabed Authority (ISA).
Specifically, the Head of the Vietnamese delegation continued to affirm the role of ITLOS in peacefully resolving disputes related to the application and interpretation of the Convention, calling on member states of the Convention to resolve disputes, conflicts and differences by peaceful means, seriously implementing the judgments and decisions of ITLOS as well as the dispute settlement mechanisms stipulated in the Convention.
Vietnam acknowledges the growing role of ITLOS in contributing to the interpretation of the provisions of the Convention through the process of resolving disputes between States Parties to the Convention. At the same time, the process of issuing advisory opinions by ITLOS in recent times has clarified many provisions of the Convention, especially the issuance of advisory opinions on climate change on May 21, 2024.
At the same time, the Vietnamese delegation affirmed the importance of determining the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles; contributing to clarifying the boundary between the continental shelves of the Convention's member countries and the international seabed area, creating conditions for the full and effective implementation of the Convention's regulations on the management and equitable sharing of mineral benefits and resources in this area. On this basis, Vietnam called for practical measures to accelerate the CLCS's review of the submitted reports on the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.
The Vietnamese delegation welcomed the ISA Council for its roadmap to complete the development of the Regulation on the exploitation of minerals in the international ocean floor area, affirming that exploitation must ensure the protection of the marine environment and fair sharing of benefits; mentioned the active participation and contribution of Vietnamese members at the ISA Legal and Technical Committee (LTC); and called on ISA to continue capacity building activities for developing countries, especially in scientific research and technology application.
Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu met with United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Miguel de Soares. |
On the occasion of the Conference, the Vietnamese delegation had meetings and contacts on the sidelines with the UN Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, Chief Justice of ITLOS, President of CLCS and a number of delegations attending the Conference, including: Philippines, Laos, Malaysia... to inform, exchange issues of mutual concern and promote cooperation activities on seas and oceans in the coming time.
The SPLOS is an annual conference convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in accordance with the provisions of the Convention on the Law of the Sea. This is an important forum for member states to exchange and discuss the Secretary-General's reports on the seas and oceans and the activities of the bodies established under the Convention, including the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, and the Seabed Authority. The conference also hears and discusses reports on the organization and budget of the bodies established under the Convention. |
Source: https://dangcongsan.vn/thoi-su/hoi-nghi-cac-quoc-gia-thanh-vien-cong-uoc-luat-bien-cua-lien-hop-quoc-lan-thu-34-667228.html
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