Vietnam respects and fully implements the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Today, with 170 members, UNCLOS has become the most important legal document and one of the greatest achievements in international law of the international community in the 20th century.

On the morning of December 10, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a ceremony to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (also known as UNCLOS) coming into effect.

At the ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Minh Vu, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated that 30 years ago on November 16, 1994, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a document regulating activities on the seas and oceans, covering more than 70% of the Earth's surface, officially came into effect.

Delegates attending the opening ceremony of the 30th anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. (Source: The World and Vietnam)

Over the past three decades, the Convention - dubbed the "constitution of the seas and oceans," has established a comprehensive and comprehensive international legal framework, regulating the rights and obligations of all states, whether coastal, land-locked or geographically disadvantaged, in the use of the sea, the management of marine resources and the conservation of these resources for future generations.

"In the face of many changes and emerging challenges, the Convention still maintains its value as a comprehensive and important legal framework, while demonstrating its flexibility and adaptability to deal with these urgent issues. The United Nations and institutions established under the Convention such as the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Law of the Sea, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the International Seabed Authority, etc. have also made positive contributions to addressing emerging challenges to the governance of seas and oceans," said Mr. Nguyen Minh Vu.

According to Mr. Nguyen Minh Vu, currently, with 170 members, UNCLOS has become the most important legal document and one of the greatest achievements in international law of the international community in the 20th century.

As a coastal country with a coastline of over 3,260km and thousands of large and small islands, respecting and fully and responsibly implementing the provisions of UNCLOS is completely consistent with Vietnam's policies and guidelines up to now.

In the spirit of the rule of law, Vietnam advocates persistently resolving maritime disputes by peaceful means, in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS.

Implementing this policy, Vietnam has achieved many successes in resolving maritime delimitation issues with neighboring countries, notably with Thailand resolving the maritime delimitation issue in the Gulf of Thailand in 1997 - the first maritime delimitation agreement of ASEAN after the Convention came into effect; being the first and only country to date to have a maritime delimitation agreement with China - delimiting the Gulf of Tonkin in 2000; together with Indonesia resolving the issue of continental shelf delimitation and then the exclusive economic zone in 2003 and 2022 respectively, enriching the practice of resolving maritime delimitation issues according to the provisions of the Convention.

In addition, Vietnam has actively participated in activities within the framework of international mechanisms established under the Convention, contributing many outstanding initiatives that have been recognized by the international community, demonstrating Vietnam's role in international and regional forums related to seas and oceans, such as the United Nations' ocean processes and law of the sea.

Vietnam has served as a member of the Council of the International Seabed Authority, made substantial contributions to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, actively participated in the negotiation process and promptly signed the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity in Seas Beyond National Jurisdiction - the most recent international document related to the implementation of the Convention.

Vietnam also recommends experienced and highly qualified experts to participate in the bodies established within the framework of UNCLOS.

At the United Nations, Vietnam and the delegations of 11 countries co-founded the UNCLOS Friends Group with more than 100 member countries from all geographical regions to promote the implementation of the Convention.

At the Celebration, delegates from the United Nations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, central and local ministries and agencies, ambassadors, and veteran officials involved in the process of building, implementing, and applying the Convention had discussions and shared experiences highlighting the values ​​of UNCLOS over the past 30 years; the application of UNCLOS in resolving maritime disputes, protecting the marine environment, and adapting to climate change...

According to Vietnamplus.vn

https://www.vietnamplus.vn/viet-nam-ton-trong-thuc-thi-day-du-cong-uoc-lien-hop-quoc-ve-luat-bien-post1000068.vnp

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/viet-nam-ton-trong-thuc-thi-day-du-cong-uoc-lien-hop-quoc-ve-luat-bien-208374.html