Vietnam calls for maintaining peace and cooperation in the East Sea

The 23rd Conference of States Parties to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was held from June 10 to 14 at the United Nations headquarters in New York, USA.

(Illustrative photo. Source: VNA)

This is an opportunity for member countries to review the activities of agencies established under the provisions of the above convention, including the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the International Seabed Authority and the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.

In addition, this forum provided an opportunity for member states to discuss issues arising in the process of applying and implementing the convention.

At the conference, Ambassador Le Hoai Trung, Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations, Head of the Vietnamese delegation attending the conference, gave an important speech, highly appreciating the activities of the agencies established in 2012 within the framework of the convention.

The Ambassador welcomed member states to discuss issues arising in the implementation of the convention with a view to finding appropriate ways to promote the objectives and principles of the convention.

Regarding issues related to the East Sea, Ambassador Le Hoai Trung said that like many other seas in the world, in the East Sea, fishing is a traditional occupation, a source of livelihood for hundreds of millions of people in coastal communities. Creating conditions for fishermen to operate safely and sustainably is the responsibility of coastal countries.

However, over the past year, in this sea area, there have continued to be many incidents of chasing, arresting, and even using weapons against fishermen working in traditional fishing grounds.

Ambassador Le Hoai Trung suggested that while a solution to territorial and maritime boundary disputes has not yet been reached, coastal states need to strictly comply with the provisions of UNCLOS, including the relevant member states negotiating to reach satisfactory arrangements for fishing activities, ensuring the safety of fishermen, creating opportunities for optimal exploitation of marine biological resources and preserving the marine ecological environment. Any unilateral actions, such as issuing fishing bans and enforcing national laws in disputed areas, only complicate the situation and go against the purposes and principles of UNCLOS.

Ambassador Le Hoai Trung emphasized that the requirement to maintain a peaceful, secure and cooperative environment in the East Sea to use sea areas, sustainably exploit resources and protect the marine environment according to the provisions of the convention is an inevitable requirement and is of interest and promotion to countries in the region.

On this occasion, Ambassador Le Hoai Trung introduced the Vietnam Law of the Sea, which officially took effect from January 1, 2013, and affirmed that the provisions of this law are completely consistent with the provisions stated in the 1982 UNCLOS./.

According to (TTXVN) - LT