Viet Nam co-chairs workshop on 40th anniversary of UNCLOS
VGP - Viet Nam, in coordination with Greece, Egypt and Senegal, on December 8 co-chaired a workshop on achievements and challenges since the adoption of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 40 years.
Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Head of the Permanent Delegation of Viet Nam to the United Nations (center) co-chairs the workshop - Photo: VNA
Addressing the event, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Head of the Permanent Delegation of Viet Nam to the United Nations, reaffirmed countries' commitment to the universal goals and principles set forth in the UNCLOS and expressed his wish to cooperate with other members to promote the convention's role in addressing common challenges, maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and sustainable development for the interests of present and future generations.
Prof. Nguyen Hong Thao, a member of the UN's International Law Commission, spoke about the integrity of the 1982 UNCLOS in the face of "unforeseeable" issues when the convention was born, including sea level rise.
According to the professor, it can be seen in reality that all countries seek to handle many of the ocean issues within the current legal framework provided for by UNCLOS, instead of building regulations outside the convention.
Addressing the workshop, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel, Miguel de Serpa Soares, said that the ratification of the convention was a historic milestone of the consensus among nations to develop a comprehensive legal framework for activities at sea.
He also highlighted the major challenges relating to the implementation of the convention, such as conservation and sustainable use of the sea.
Main topics at the event were the outcomes of the convention, sea level rise and the relationship between UNCLOS and Sustainable Development Goal 14, which is to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.
Int'l conference marks 40th anniversary of UNCLOS
The same day, an international conference was held in Ha Noi on December 8 to mark 40 years since the adoption of the 1982 UNCLOS.
Participants said that bordering the East Sea and being a member of UNCLOS, Viet Nam has always been well aware of the role and importance of the seas to national peace, security, and development. They also affirmed the importance of respecting and fully and responsibly implementing regulations in UNCLOS, protecting the legal order of the seas and oceans, and promoting cooperation amid complex developments in the East Sea.
Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Minh Vu said having been ratified by 168 parties, UNCLOS has truly become a legal document of leading importance, only after the UN Charter, and a "constitution of the seas and oceans".
The convention formed a comprehensive and full international legal framework that regulates the rights and obligations of all states, no matter whether it is coastal or landlocked, in the use of the seas and the management, exploitation, and conservation of marine resources, he noted.
UNCLOS is a comprehensive international legal cornerstone for identifying sea areas, sovereignty, sovereign right, and jurisdiction over sea areas, and for conducting activities at sea. It also stipulates compulsory dispute settlement mechanisms to peacefully resolve differences relevant to the interpretation and application of UNCLOS among countries, according to the official./.
