NewYork (VNA) – Vietnam has affirmed the necessity for maintaining peace,security, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea whileattending the 32nd Meeting of States Partiesto the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The meeting, taking place at the UN headquarters in NewYork from June 13 to 17, looked into reports by the agencies set up underUNCLOS such as the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, theCommission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) and the InternationalSeabed Authority, along with procedural, budgetary, and personnel affairs ofthese bodies. It also elected CLCS members.

Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative ofVietnam to the UN, reaffirmed that UNCLOS, as the “constitution of the oceans”,is the legal framework for all activities in the oceans and seas and also theonly legal foundation for comprehensively and fully identifying the scope of countries’rights to sea areas.

With regard to the East Sea issue, he held that peaceand development of the region and international community are connected withthe maintenance of peace, security, and freedom of navigation and overflight inthe waters.

Stressing the importance of fully and comprehensivelyimplementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC),Giang appealed for all disputes to be resolved by peaceful means, on the basisof international law, including the UN Charter and UNCLOS, with respect fordiplomatic and legal processes, and without use of force or threat to useforce.

He also informed about the progress of the negotiation on acode of conduct (COC) in the East Sea.

The diplomat shared the view on the sea-related challengespointed out in the UN Secretary-General’s report, especially the COVID-19pandemic’s negative impacts on ocean issues, including the worsening of manyexisting or emerging maritime issues like marine biodiversity, migration, and climatechange.

Given this, he emphasised that international cooperation onthe basis of UNCLOS holds great importance to coping with these challenges.

In his remarks, Giang also highlighted Vietnam’s viewpointthat when working out solutions to challenges, it is necessary to pay dueattention to capacity, technology transfer, and financial assistance fordeveloping countries, and that Vietnam supports the UN’s initiatives onpromoting the use of science and techniques to use the oceans sustainably.

At the June 16 discussion on the UN Secretary-General’s reporton issues related to the seas and oceans, UN agencies’ activities, andinternational cooperation last year, participants underlined the request for adheringto UNCLOS, enhancing regional and international cooperation in sea and ocean-relatedissues, responding to such challenges as marine pollution and climate change,and contributing to the realisation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 onconserving and sustainably using the oceans, seas and marine resources.

Taking effect on November 16, 1994, UNCLOS has beenratified by 168 states and international organisations. Fourteen other stateshave signed but yet to ratify the convention./.