Da Nang to host East Asian Seas Congress 2015 this month

Hanoi (VNA) – The fifth East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress will take place from November 16-21 in the central city of Da Nang, gathering 700 Vietnamese and foreign delegates, according to the Administration of Seas and Islands under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Within the event’s framework, a series of international conferences and seminars will be organised, together with forums of ministers, youth and local government networks, a Senior Government Official Meeting, and a Special Meeting of the EAS Partnership Council.

The triennial event, co-organised by Partnerships in the Environmental Management of the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) and member countries, is a leading international conference on sustainable development and management of coastal and sea areas, focusing on Seas of East Asia.

The congress also serves as a venue for participants to share information and foster partnership, as well as a mechanism for supervising and designing plans for the sustainable development of EAS.

Since joining the PEMSA in December 2003, Vietnam has applied synchronous management methods over seas and islands, while completing its State management system in the field to ensure the reasonable use of resources, develop maritime economy and reduce pollution and impacts of natural disasters and climate change and restore the sea ecosystem and biodiversity, contributing to improving the environment quality in EAS.

By institutionalising and integrating seas and islands management programmes into policies and strategies, Vietnam has become one of the leading countries in the region to actively realise the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia.

Evidently, the country launched the integrated management programme for coastal areas in northern central and central region in the 2011-2013 period, raising capacity and awareness of 17 coastal localities in protecting the maritime environment, and including the coastal zone protection programme in their socio-economic development strategies.

In 2014, the Government also approved a strategy for integrated management of Vietnamese coastal zone until 2020 with vision to 2030, covering 24 coastal localities.

Themed “Global Target-Local Benefit: Setting Agenda for Sustainable Development for the Seas of East Asia beyond 2015,” the congress will be a chance for Vietnam to affirm its commitment to working with other regional countries to build and maintain a peaceful and stable environment in Seas of East Asia, and ensuring sustainable development with green economy and green growth.-VNA