Vietnam’s Sea and Island Week 2015 will take place from June 1-8 in response to the United Nations World Oceans Day (June 8), according to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MoNRE).

Various activities will be held across the countries, with main events to be hosted by the central coastal province of Quang Ngai, under the theme of “Blue Ocean, Green Planet.”

Vietnam was among the first nine nations responding to the World Ocean Day launched by the UN General Assembly in 2009. The country has been observing the day annually since then with a Sea and Island Week.

The event aims to raise public’s awareness of the role and special importance of seas and oceans to human life and sustainable development as well as the country’s sea and island sovereignty.

During the Sea and Island Week this year, the MoNRE and the Quang Ngai provincial People’s Committee will hold a meeting to celebrate the World Oceans Day and Vietnam Sea and Islands Week, a cycling parade and beach cleanup programmes, among others. Quang Ngai will also organize a conference to promote investment in the province’s marine economic sectors.

Vietnam has adopted a marine economic development strategy with the goal of raising the proportion of sea-based sectors to 53-55 percent of the national GDP and 55-60 percent of export revenues by 2020.-VNA