(VOVworld) – The 26th conference of parties to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea took place on June 20-24 at the UN Headquarters in New York. It reviewed last year’s performance of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the International Seabed Authority, and the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.
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| Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga |
At the conference, Vietnam appreciated UN agencies’ accomplishments and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea’s decisions and advices concerning the interpretation and application of the Convention.
Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga, Head of the Vietnamese Permanent Representative Delegation to the UN, affirmed the importance of the UNCLOS in creating a legal framework to regulate the rights and obligations of member states in using the seas and oceans peacefully, sustainably, and effectively for the prosperity of human being. Ambassador Nga expressed concerns over complications in the East Sea, particularly reclamation and construction in large scale to change the status quo the East Sea and military activities to erode trust, increase tension, and serious impact regional peace, stability, and security.
Ms. Nga called on relevant parties to stop all activities to change the status quo in the East Sea, damage marine environment, and complicate the East Sea situation. She reiterated Vietnam’s stance to resolve disputes in the East Sea by peaceful means in line with international law, including the UNCLOS. He urged involved parties to fully abide by the Declaration on Conducts of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), heading to finalize the Code of Conducts of Parties in the East Sea (COC).