Vietnam has underlined the significant role of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in creating legal frameworks for promoting the exploitation of seas and oceans in a peaceful, fair, stable and effective manner for peace and prosperity.
Addressing the 25th meeting of State Parties to the UNCLOS, which took place in New York on June 8-12, ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, head of Vietnam’s Permanent Representative Delegation to the UN, said the East Sea, which was rich in natural resources and the second largest maritime route in the world, should be safeguarded and used in a sustainable way.
Nga said Vietnam was concerned about current complicated developments in the East Sea, especially large-scale construction activities which changed the natural characteristics of some structures in the sea, destroyed the marine environment and ecosystem and seriously affected peace, stability and security in the region, causing great concern among ASEAN member nations and countries inside and outside the region.
She demanded all actions that changed the status quo in the East Sea, damaged the marine environment and further complicated disputes to stop immediately.
The ambassador also reiterated Vietnam’s consistent stance on the issue, which calls for the settlement of disputes in the East Sea by peaceful measures in line with international law, including the UNCLOS, and that the parties involved should fully carry out their commitments to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and work together to build a Code of Conduct (COC).
The meeting approved reports on the activities of the International Court of Justice on the Law of the Sea in 2014, the International Seabed Authority and the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.-
