Naval soldiers patrol on an island of Vietnam's Truong Sa archipelago (Photo: VNA) A national organising board has recently been set up for the fifth East Asian Seas (EAS) Congress, slated for November 16-21 in the central city of Da Nang.
The board is led by Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Nguyen Minh Quang, supported by three deputies who are a Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, a Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Chairman of the Da Nang People’s Committee.
The board members include leading representatives of the ministries of finance, public security, national defence, planning and investment, and agriculture and rural development, along with the Director General of the Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands.
In August, Da Nang also formed a municipal organising board for the event headed by Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Ngoc Tuan.
Themed “Global targets – Local benefits: Setting the Sustainable Development Agenda for the Seas of East Asia beyond 2015”, the fifth congress is expected to welcome around 600-700 delegates, including 400 foreigners.
Since its inception in 2003, the triennial East Asian Seas Congress has been held alternately in the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia member countries, namely Malaysia (2003), China (2006), the Philippines (2009) and the Republic of Korea (2012).
It aims to provide a platform for participating nations to share knowledge and enhance the sustainable environmental management of East Asian seas.-VNA
