Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, head of Vietnam’s permanent mission to the UN (Source: VNA)New York (VNA) – Vietnam commits to respecting and fully implementingregulations of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982UNCLOS), said Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, head of Vietnam’s permanentmission to the UN.
Nga made the statement at the 28th Meeting of States Parties to UNCLOS which took place in New York from June11-14.
Vietnam will cooperate withother countries and international organistions to preserve and develop seas andislands sustainably for the future of human being, theambassador said.
Nga emphasised that Vietnam always advocatesaddressing disputes in the East Sea by peaceful measures and in line withinternational law, including UNCLOS.
As a country located along the East Sea,Vietnam has paid special attention to protecting the marine environment andeco-system, and has been aware of adverse impacts of disputes on thesustainable preservation and use of seas and islands, she said.
Vietnam welcomes efforts made by concernedparties to build the East Sea into the waters of peace, stability andsustainable development, Nga said, citing the kick-start of negotiations of theCode of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
She stressed that Vietnam calls on all memberstates to fully observe regulations of the convention, respect diplomatic andlegal processes, promote sustainable use of seas and oceans, ensure security,and aviation and navigation safety and freedom in waters, and avoid unilateralactivities, including the militarisation of occupied structures, that runcounter to objectives of UNCLOS, and adversely impact the marine environmentand resources as well as legal and legitimate rights and interests of themember states, and the building of codes of conduct.
The ambassador reiterated Vietnam’spersistent stance on backing the fight against the illegal, unreported andunregulated (IUU) fishing, and spoke of Vietnam’sefforts to combat IUU fishing and promptly complete domestic procedures tobecome a member of the UN Fish Stocks Agreement (UNFSA)and the Agreement on PortState Measures to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate IUU Fishing (PSMA).
The meeting brought togetherrepresentatives from more than 100 member states of UNCLOS, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, theInternational Seabed Authority, the Commission on the Limits of theContinental Shelf, and international and non-governmentalorganisations operating in the field of seas and oceans.
The participants talkedabout challenges to maritime administration, and sea-related problems facingthe state members such as marine pollution, overexploitation and sea levelrise.
They shared the view that UNCLOSshould continue to be a comprehensive framework regulating all activities of littoralcountries. -VNA
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