The integrity of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea must be maintained.

On October 23, the 16th International Scientific Conference on the East Sea, co-organized by the Diplomatic Academy and partner agencies, opened in Ha Long City, Quang Ninh Province with the theme "Orienting thinking, promoting standards".

Conference scene (Photo: Nguyen Duong).

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Acting Director of the Diplomatic Academy, Ambassador, Dr. Pham Lan Dung, shared the reason for choosing the location of this year's workshop in the beautiful city of Ha Long, also a UNESCO World Natural Heritage, as a testament to the greatness and endurance of nature.

"Like the legend of Ha Long, the Organizing Committee wishes to convey the message of the mission of protecting the precious things, which are peace , stability and common prosperity in the East Sea, as well as demonstrate the determination to find sustainable solutions for the region," said Ambassador, Dr. Pham Lan Dung.

Ambassador, Dr. Pham Lan Dung speaks (Photo: Nguyen Duong).

Speaking at the opening session, Deputy Foreign Minister Do Hung Viet assessed that the world is facing a major turning point, the transition to a multipolar, multi-centered situation is full of surprises, difficult to predict, and if not well controlled, could lead to disaster.

Mr. Viet said that trust in existing institutions and rules is gradually decreasing and unilateral actions will prevail, ignoring the legitimate interests of the parties and the international community.

Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet said that this trend has been narrowing the space for dialogue, diplomacy and cooperation; pushing the arms race and deterrence measures to the forefront of many countries' strategies.

Therefore, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs highly appreciated the theme of the workshop "Orienting thinking, promoting standards" which shows its current topicality and urgency.

Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet speaks at the workshop (Photo: Nguyen Duong).

In that context, Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet affirmed that compliance with widely recognized principles and standards is the foundation for ensuring international peace and stability; and is also a common framework for countries to resolve disputes peacefully and cooperatively.

Mr. Viet emphasized that the 30th anniversary of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) officially coming into effect is an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of UNCLOS.

UNCLOS is the comprehensive legal framework that governs all activities at sea and oceans and is the basis for actions and cooperation at sea at the national, regional and global levels; therefore, the integrity of UNCLOS needs to be maintained.

He also said that Vietnam’s nomination of the first candidate for the position of ITLOS Judge for the 2026-2035 period reaffirms Vietnam’s willingness to contribute to the activities of ITLOS. At the same time, this demonstrates Vietnam’s strong and steadfast commitment to UNCLOS in particular and to the United Nations Charter and international law in general.

On this occasion, Deputy Minister Do Hung Viet also said that the recently signed Document for the Future of the United Nations continues to affirm global determination in dealing with human challenges through multilateral cooperation.

Mr. Viet emphasized that ASEAN should be trusted and entrusted with the role of mediator and connector, because ASEAN's principles of openness, inclusiveness, transparency and respect for international law will connect all parties.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/xa-hoi/tinh-toan-ven-cong-uoc-lien-hop-quoc-ve-luat-bien-nam-1982-can-duoc-duy-tri-20241023162035112.htm