An overview of the conference (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – “Cooperationfor regional security and development” was the topic of the 11th South China Sea International Conference which opened in the capital city ofHanoi on November 6.
Co-hosted by the DiplomaticAcademy of Vietnam (DAV), Foundation for East Sea Studies (FESS) and Vietnam LawyersAssociation (VLA), the two-day event brought together more than 50 speakers andsome 250 officials, scholars and diplomats of Vietnam and foreign countries.
In his opening remarks, VLAPresident Nguyen Van Quyen said the conference was a chance for domestic andforeign lawyers to share measures to maintain peace and security in the region.The VLA has an increasingly significant voice in security matters, includingthe East Sea issues, he said.
Meanwhile, DAV President NguyenVu Tung said since it was initiated 10 years ago, the conference has become an importantevent on the East Sea where experts and scholars who are interested in maritimesecurity and the East Sea in particular to share their information and ideas. Afterits 10 editions, the conference has received more than 350 reports from leadingexperts and scholars, and welcomed over 2,000 delegates, he said.
Although cooperation fordevelopment remains a common trend between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) and its partners, there are concerns over growing tensions, violationsof sovereignty and threats to use force in the East Sea, Tung stressed.
Co-hosted by the DiplomaticAcademy of Vietnam (DAV), Foundation for East Sea Studies (FESS) and Vietnam LawyersAssociation (VLA), the two-day event brought together more than 50 speakers andsome 250 officials, scholars and diplomats of Vietnam and foreign countries.
In his opening remarks, VLAPresident Nguyen Van Quyen said the conference was a chance for domestic andforeign lawyers to share measures to maintain peace and security in the region.The VLA has an increasingly significant voice in security matters, includingthe East Sea issues, he said.
Meanwhile, DAV President NguyenVu Tung said since it was initiated 10 years ago, the conference has become an importantevent on the East Sea where experts and scholars who are interested in maritimesecurity and the East Sea in particular to share their information and ideas. Afterits 10 editions, the conference has received more than 350 reports from leadingexperts and scholars, and welcomed over 2,000 delegates, he said.
Although cooperation fordevelopment remains a common trend between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN) and its partners, there are concerns over growing tensions, violationsof sovereignty and threats to use force in the East Sea, Tung stressed.
Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung speaks at the conference (Source: VNA) Speaking at the opening ceremony,Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung said the East Seahas the most important and busiest shipping routes in the world. As a bridge connectingthe Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean as well as the Asian and Oceaniacontinents, over 50 percent of the world’s marine trade worth 5 trillion USDeach year has been transported through the East Sea, hence, security and safetyof navigation in the waters are of great importance to the global trade and prosperity,he said.
The East Sea also plays an important role in strategicinitiatives of world powers such as the US, China, Japan, Australia, India andthe ASEAN, Trung said, adding that all developments in the East Sea haveattracted attention from not only regional nations but also the wholeinternational community.
The Deputy Minister highlighted the importance of the 1982United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), describing it as theUN’s “Charter on oceans” with the participation of 168 members. The 1982 UNCLOScreated a legal framework for the preservation and sustainable use of oceansand marine resources as recognised in the 2030 Agenda for SustainableDevelopment adopted by UN member states in 2015, he said.
Based on the 1982 UNCLOS, many practical cooperationactivities at the regional and global levels have been carried out to cope withcommon challenges such as climate change, sea level rise, decreased aquaticresources and plastic waste as well as other challenges like security and safetyof navigation and aviation, piracy and armed crime, according to the DeputyMinister.
The 1982 UNCLOS is also a leading foundation for thesettlement of claims on overlapping sea areas and the demarcation of seas amongcountries, he stressed.
Vietnam, Canada and the European Union (EU) will co-organisea workshop on the enforcement of the 1982 UNCLOS and emerging marine issueswithin the framework of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Hanoi next week,Trung told the participants.
Trung expressed his belief that maintaining peace andstability and promoting cooperation in the East Sea are not only the interestsand responsibilities of regional nations but also the interests and responsibilitiesof the whole international community.
He expected that the conference would put forth measures toensure the efficiency of the 1982 UNCLOS and the respect for law; to maintainthe important role of multilateral mechanisms such as the UN and ASEAN in fosteringregional cooperation; and to step up international cooperation in dealing withurgent issues at sea, including disputes over sovereignty and sovereignty rights,and ensuring livelihoods for coastal residents.
The annual conference will include six plenary and six roundtablesessions, focusing on various themes such as the South China Sea state ofaffairs: threats, risks and opportunities; the South China Sea in competingvisions; the South China Sea in multilateral forums; incident prevention andconfidence building; and strengthening foundation for peace and rules-basedorder.
As part of the conference, a special session will be held tocelebrate the 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the 1982UNCLOS which has been the bedrock of the rules-based order at sea over the past 25 years./.
VNA
