Viet Nam elected Chair of 35th Conference of States Parties to UNCLOS

Addressing the event, Nguyen highlighted the positive developments in the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and in global ocean governance.

He particularly emphasized the success of the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) held in Nice, France in early June, as well as ongoing efforts to accelerate the entry into force of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).

Amid serious challenges facing the seas and oceans, such as marine pollution, impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, and depletion of marine resources, the Vietnamese official called on countries to uphold multilateralism, engage in discussions in a spirit of cooperation and constructiveness, and actively propose measures to promote the implementation of the UNCLOS.

He also underlined the need to enhance the effectiveness of the bodies established under the Convention, thereby reinforcing the role and vitality of the UNCLOS, the "Constitution of the Oceans", in maintaining maritime order, conserving and sustainably using marine resources, and contributing to global peace, stability, and sustainable development.

Viet Nam's assumption of the chair of the most important annual meeting on the UNCLOS implementation for the first time reflects the strong trust and confidence of the international community in the country's capacity to lead and manage multilateral mechanisms within the UN framework.

It also manifests the international community's recognition and high appreciation of Viet Nam's role and contributions to collective efforts in promoting the implementation of the Convention and advancing global ocean governance.

SPLOS is the annual meeting of the parties to the UNCLOS. At the meeting, the UNCLOS member states and observer countries present their positions, views, and share information on issues related to the implementation of the UNCLOS.

They also review the performance of the bodies established under the Convention over the past year, contributing to shaping future developments in the field of the law of the sea, as well as the management and exploitation of ocean resources.

Over the recent years, Viet Nam has actively participated and contributed constructively to the meeting, consistently upholding its principled stance of respecting and fully implementing the UNCLOS./.