With nearly 90% of global goods transported by sea, keeping vital shipping lanes open is essential to peace and sustainable development across all regions, Deputy FM Vu said while chairing a symposium on the sidelines of the 36th Meeting of States Parties to UNCLOS (SPLOS 36) in New York on Tuesday.
Mr. Vu, head of the Vietnamese delegation to SPLOS 36, said the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has established a comprehensive legal framework governing maritime activities, ensuring a balance of interests among nations.
The symposium drew more than 120 representatives from countries and international organizations, as well as scholars and experts from around the world.
Discussions focused on key legal concepts such as innocent passage, transit passage through international straits, and freedom of navigation and overflight. Delegates exchanged views on maritime developments in different regions and called for greater dialogue, capacity building, data sharing, and coordination among states, international organizations and stakeholders to ensure maritime safety, security, and freedom.
Established in 2021 at the initiative of Vietnam and Germany, the Group of Friends of UNCLOS is an informal and flexible mechanism for dialogue and coordination aimed at strengthening cooperation among countries sharing common interests on specific issues at the United Nations and other multilateral forums.
It now comprises 115 member states from every geographical region. Its 12 core members are Argentina, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Jamaica, Kenya, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Senegal, South Africa, and Vietnam.
In past years, the Group has organized workshops, seminars, and regular meetings to exchange views and promote cooperation on issues related to the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the sustainable management and use of the world's oceans and seas.
