Dr Gerhard Will, a German expert on the East Sea, stressed that the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)’s ruling on the Philippines’ lawsuit against China holds a solid legal basis and high value in the settlement of disputes in the East Sea.
A Group of Friends on the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), an initiative by Vietnam and Germany, was launched at a New York event on June 30, with Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and UN Legal Counsel and representatives of 96 member states in attendance.
The plenary and closing session of the 30th meeting of state parties to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) took place at the UN headquarters in New York on December 9 with the participation of nearly 120 member states.
Foreign experts have condemned China’s recent actions in the East Sea, saying its moves have escalated tensions in the region and infringed upon international law.
China’s circulation of a number of diplomatic notes at the United Nations (UN) that raise unreasonable sovereignty claims over Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelagos as well as maritime claims in the East Sea runs counter to the provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), an official said on April 23.
Australia and the Republic of Korea (RoK) expressed their grave concern over recent developments in the East Sea, and affirmed the importance to maintain and promote peace and stability in the waters, at the fourth Australia – RoK Foreign and Defence Ministers Meeting in Sydney.
The 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is an important legal instrument to regulate maritime issues and ensure legitimate rights and interests of countries, heard the second ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) workshop on implementing UNCLOS in Hanoi on November 13.
Complying with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and promoting the ASEAN’s central role are a policy choice of Vietnam in settling disputes in the South China Sea (called the East Sea in Vietnam), said a local official.
Vietnam pays heeds to fortifying its relations with Rwanda, a potential partner of the country in East Africa, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh stated on August 7.
The Indonesian government and the United Nations (UN) co-hosted the first training conference on the Law of the Sea in Jakarta from December 12-14, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the S
Deputy PM Vuong Dinh Hue held working sessionsin Jakarta on July 19 with the Indonesian Foreign Minister and Minister of Trade to seek ways to further expand the partnership between the two countries.
The Government has issued a decree stipulating the granting of licences to foreign organisations and individuals to conduct scientific research in the sea areas of Vietnam.