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| Director of the Vietnam Department of Seas and Islands, Nguyen Duc Toan, speaks and presents Vietnam's viewpoint on the issue of green finance. (Photo: Provided) |
On the morning of November 6th, the 2024 East Asian Ocean Congress, themed "Blue Synergy for a Shared Future: One Sustainable and Resilient Ocean," was inaugurated at the Xiamen International Convention Center in Xiamen, China.
The event took place concurrently with World Ocean Week from November 6-8, 2024, and was co-hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China, the People's Government of Xiamen City, and the Partnership for Environmental Management of East Asian Seas (PEMSEA).
A delegation from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, led by Mr. Nguyen Duc Toan, Director of the Department of Seas and Islands of Vietnam, attended the Congress. In addition, representatives from the leadership of localities that are members of the PEMSEA networks also participated in the Congress, including Da Nang City, Quang Nam Province, and Thua Thien-Hue Province.
The morning session on November 6th featured a significant event: the Ministerial Forum and the signing of the Ministerial Declaration, with the dialogue theme: “From Declaration to Implementation: Innovations, Opportunities and Prospects for the EAS Region”.
In addition, the Congress includes many other activities such as: an exhibition on achievements in sustainable marine and coastal development of countries in the East Asian Sea region; dialogues on the synergistic effect in ensuring multi-stakeholder participation and science -policy interfaces; the synergistic effect in technological innovation and approaches; international workshops on topics such as innovation and ocean finance, ocean science, policy and practice; global challenges, local solutions; forums and annual meetings of the PEMSEA Network of Local Governments (PNLG); and the PEMSEA Network of Academic Centres (PNLC)…
Vietnam has perfected the institutional framework for sustainable marine economic development.
At the Ministerial Forum, the Director of the Vietnam Department of Seas and Islands, Nguyen Duc Toan, delivered a speech and presented Vietnam's perspective on green finance.
Director Nguyen Duc Toan stated that green finance and green investment are new areas with great potential. With more than half of the population living in coastal areas, where a significant workforce is involved in marine-related industries, Vietnam's green economy is not only a driving force for regional prosperity but also contributes to Vietnam's development.
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| Delegates attending the Congress pose for a commemorative photo. (Photo: Provided) |
Vietnam has set a strategic goal of becoming a strong maritime nation, prosperous from the sea. The Strategy for Sustainable Development of the Marine Economy to 2030, with a vision to 2045, was adopted in 2018. This strategy outlines policies and breakthroughs for the development of a green marine economy, emphasizing the development of a green growth model and environmental protection. To implement this strategy, the Vietnamese government has also issued a master plan and five-year plans.
Director Nguyen Duc Toan also stated that Vietnam has made a breakthrough in perfecting the institutional framework for sustainable marine economic development with the promulgation of several strategies such as: the Strategy for Sustainable Exploitation and Use of Resources and Protection of the Marine and Island Environment until 2030, with a vision to 2050; the National Marine Spatial Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050; and the Master Plan for Sustainable Exploitation and Use of Coastal Resources for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050.
“In line with our commitment to the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA), Vietnam has made significant efforts to promote integrated coastal zone management, cooperating with other countries in the region to sustainably develop the sea and coastal areas in East Asia. With the support of international organizations, especially PEMSEA, Vietnam has successfully implemented SDS-SEA, specifically: We have expanded the scale of integrated coastal zone management to all 28 coastal provinces and centrally-administered cities; enacted the Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment; developed and published the National Report on the State of the Ocean and Coast; the National Report on the State of the Marine and Island Environment for the period 2016-2021; and carried out many activities at the national and local levels,” Director Nguyen Duc Toan shared.
However, according to Director Nguyen Duc Toan, the reality is that resources for implementing green projects are still very limited, and implementation capacity has not improved. “We hope that, through forums like today, PEMSEA, international organizations, and governments will strengthen international cooperation to mobilize more abundant financial resources and enhance technology transfer for promoting the green economy and green finance. Only then can we achieve tangible results.”
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| Overview of the conference. (Photo: Provided) |
Speaking about Vietnam's commitment and declaration on continuing to support PEMSEA and the implementation of SDS-SEA in Vietnam, the Director of the Department of Seas and Islands of Vietnam stated: Vietnam reaffirms its commitment to continue cooperating with all countries in the region and other partners, acting together and sharing experiences and best practices towards the common goal of sustainable development in the East Asian seas region.
“We are committed to continuing to support PEMSEA’s objectives and implementing the SDS-SEA Implementation Plan 2023-2027 to effectively govern the seas and coastal areas, people and the international economy, and together develop and further strengthen our regional partnerships and cooperation,” Director Nguyen Duc Toan emphasized.
The Congress assessed the progress made and the challenges in achieving regional and global commitments and goals over the past period, as well as the path forward to building greater collaborative action through cooperation, coordination, and knowledge sharing among stakeholder groups, ensuring the goal of sustainable and resilient oceans for a shared future.
According to the Vietnam General Department of Seas and Islands, organizing the Congress helps promote the sharing of knowledge, best practices, and local optimization solutions to maintain sustainable seas/oceans; expand cross-border connectivity to accelerate the development of technology applications and approaches to promote environmental, social, and economic benefits; and, more importantly, create momentum for innovation and mobilize partnerships and resources to realize the vision of the East Asian Seas Sustainable Development Strategy and the Strategy Implementation Plan for the period 2023-2027 that has been approved.
The East Asian Seas Congress is organized by PEMSEA every three years, rotating among member countries. It is an international conference on sustainable development and management of coastal and ocean areas, focusing on the East Asian seas.
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