The Vietnam delegation sign Preah Sihanouk Ministerial Declaration (Photo: VNA) The remark was made by Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Le Minh Ngan while addressing a virtual ministerial forum within the seventh East Asian Seas Congress on December 2.
Deputy Minister Ngan said that Vietnam wishes to cooperate with all countries in the region towards sustainable development in East Asian Seas.
He told participants that Vietnam became a member of the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) in 2003, beginning with the signing of the Putrajaya Declaration and its commitment to implementing the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA).
With the assistance of international organisations, particularly the PEMSEA, Vietnam has successfully realised the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia by specific actions like replicating the integrated coastal zone management in coastal localities, and promulgating and implementing a strategy for integrated coastal zone management to 2020, with a vision towards 2030.
Vietnam has also issued the Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment and made relevant reports towards a blue economy, according to the official.
Currently, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is continuing to develop the national marine spatial planning, a master plan on sustainable exploitation and use of coastal resources based on the ecosystem approach, and a strategy for sustainable exploitation and use of natural resources and environmental protection of sea and islands, Ngan added.
Representatives of 11 PEMSEA member countries sign Preah Sihanouk Ministerial Declaration (Photo: VNA) With the signing of the Preah Sihanouk Ministerial Declaration, the PEMSEA member countries endorsed the PEMSEA Roadmap to 2030 as the region’s decadal strategic guide anchored on the SDS-SEA vision and commitment to blue economy, aligned with PEMSEA countries’ green recovery plans and programmes, as well as with key international environmental commitments.
The declaration clearly outlines commitments such as reaffirming and building on previous ministerial declarations or commitments of the region to support the implementation of the SDS-SEA and important international agreements, being well aware of the impacts and opportunities of the global COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the persistent and emerging challenges in the region and the need for continued cooperation and joint actions in the region.
It marks progress in the region through the PEMSEA platform as well as its key competencies, while calling on regional countries to take action to better address impacts of the global pandemic through enhanced partnerships towards a responsible and strong ocean governance based on the principles of sustainable development and blue economy.
Themed “Advancing our Sustainable Development Agenda: Road to 2030 for Healthy Ocean, People, and Economies,” the 7th Ministerial Forum was hosted by the Royal Government of Cambodia through the Ministry of Environment, with support from the province of Preah Sihanouk, Cambodia and co-organised with PEMSEA.
The 7th Ministerial Forum, which is part of the culminating events of the East Asian Seas Congress 2021 aims to highlight the progress made by the EAS region through the PEMSEA partnership on the implementation of the region’s common framework of action- the SDS-SEA; recognise the impacts as well as the opportunities to build back stronger and greener from the global pandemic, as well as other persistent and emerging concerns in the region; and launch the PEMSEA Roadmap to 2030.
During a plenary session on December 1, the delegates looked into specific activities within the framework of the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia./.
VNA
