70th anniversary of Hanoi's Liberation Day Vietnam - Asia 2023 Smart City Summit Hanoi celebrates 15 years of administrative boundary adjustment 12th Vietnam-France decentrialized cooperation conference 31st Sea Games - Vietnam 2021 Covid-19 Pandemic
Home / Defend the sovereignty
World experts voice over South China Sea issues again
Linh Pham 10:30, 2019/11/16
Discussions at the event help address the heat of conflicts which threaten the regional security.

More than 100 of officials and scholars from 27 member states of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) have expressed concerns about escalating tensions in the South China Sea at the 2nd ARF Workshop, which was co-organized by Vietnam, the European Union (EU) and the Canadian Embassy in Hanoi.

 Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Deborah Paul, Dr. Le Thi Tuyet Mai, head of Department of Law and International Treaty under Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, EU Ambassador to Vietnam Giorgio Aliberti co-chaired the workshop. Photo: MOFA

Vietnamese and international experts discussed methods to boost the enforcement of international treaties on the sea to solve problems that threat global peace and security.

They shared overviews on the current situation and issues hindering the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other international instruments in order to address emerging maritime issues.

The participants discussed measures to promote the cooperation in maritime issues among ARF members with the progress made in the implementation of the ARF Vision Statement and Hanoi Plan of Action to implement the ARF Vision Statement and looked forward to the implementation of the remaining action lines.

Dr. Le Thi Tuyet Mai, head of the Department of Law and International Treaty under Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlighted the importance of the UNCLOS in regulating maritime activities since the legal enforcement 25 years ago.

Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Deborah Paul said that regional tensions continue to rise, challenging global efforts to build conference and to prevent heat of conflicts among neighbors. Canada acknowledges that regional security bring advantages to regional people and contribute to the global stability and a strong ASEAN is very important to Canada.

EU Ambassador to Vietnam Giorgio Aliberti said the UNCLOS remains a pillar on disputes on maritime issues, including the South China Sea and efforts must be continued to build up a region of stability. It requires further cooperation among regional states, ARF members and the whole world.

Basis

The UNCLOS is not just a critical legal instrument regulating maritime affairs, guaranteeing legal rights and interests of states but also an important framework for the countries to resolve disputes and enhance maritime cooperation.

Based on the UNCLOS, a number of cooperation initiatives have been proposed and promoted between ASEAN countries and between ASEAN and dialogue partners in response to maritime security challenges.

 The event draws the participation of experts from 27 ARF members. Photo: VNA

The experts discussed and recommended solutions in four sessions, focusing on:

(i) Traditional maritime security challenges in the region, such as sovereignty disputes, maritime delimitation, and law enforcement at sea;

(ii) the UNCLOS and emerging issues in the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources, including issues related to marine pollution, deep sea exploitation, conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity outside areas under national jurisdiction and illegal, undeclared and unregulated fishing activities;

(iii) Climate change and maritime law, possible impacts and solutions, including global challenges such as sea level rise, ocean acidification to coral reefs, and climate change;

(iv) International and regional cooperation: initiatives and solutions for the future with the interaction between regional agreements and UNCLOS in environmental protection and conservation, strengthening coordination and interaction between ASEAN maritime forums and mechanisms and multilateral maritime security cooperation.

Established in 1994, the ARF is aimed to build trust and strengthen ASEAN-centered regional dialogue. Currently, 27 countries and international organizations attend this forum, with Vietnam being one of the founding members.

RELATED NEWS
TAG: ARF South China Sea UNCLOS co-chair Canadian Ambassador EU Ambassador NOVA School of Law Portugal Indonesia.
Other news
07:36, 2023/10/27
“Grey zone” activities cast a shadow over cooperation and peaceful prospects in East Sea
Grey zone activities augment the risk of confrontation, destabilize the governance of regional laws and orders, and undermine international laws.
22:51, 2023/09/21
Vietnam becomes one of first nations to sign High Seas Treaty
Signing the agreement signaled that Vietnam is an active and responsible member of the international community.
17:41, 2023/07/07
BlackPink concert threatened with cancellation over sovereignty issue
BlackPink's concert may be ruined after Vietnamese netizens found out that the organizer, iME Entertainment Group Asia, displays the nine-dash line on its website.
19:03, 2023/05/18
Vietnam opposes China’s violations in East Sea
Vietnam said it has the legal basis and evidence to prove its sovereignty over islands in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea).
17:53, 2023/05/04
Issuing items with former South Vietnamese flag inappropriate for Vietnam-Australia relations: MoFA
The issuance of items in Australia sporting the flag of the former South Vietnamese regime drew criticism from the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
18:26, 2023/04/20
China’s fishing ban violates Vietnam’s sovereignty: Spokesman
Beijing’s unilateral fishing ban covers areas including Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracels).