Vietnam supports Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ call to the international community to take collective action based on respect for international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to address the root causes affecting maritime security and to build partnerships at all levels, said Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang.

To resolve the challenges, the permanent representative of Vietnam to the United Nations proposed several solutions, including strengthening practical cooperation among countries, particularly promoting joint patrols in unstable regions; investing in surveillance technologies, sharing data, and supporting capacity building for developing nations; and reinforcing coordination mechanisms among UN agencies and regional organisations to implement effective measures ensuring maritime safety, freedom, and security.

Alongside emphasising the primary role of the UN Security Council in maintaining international peace and security, including maritime security, he also stressed the need to update and reinforce existing legal frameworks to better respond to emerging maritime security threats.

Giang reaffirmed that UNCLOS is the comprehensive legal framework governing all maritime activities, and that national policies, regulations, and behaviour at sea must be in line with international law, the UN Charter, and particularly UNCLOS.

He called on all countries to fully comply with UNCLOS obligations, respect coastal states’ sovereignty and legitimate economic activities, resolve disputes peacefully, and avoid actions that complicate the situation. He underscored the importance of diplomatic and legal processes, and the need to ensure freedom, safety, and security of navigation and overflight.

As a coastal country, the diplomat said, Vietnam supports all efforts and initiatives to enhance maritime security and safety. The country has actively cooperated with regional and international partners in combating maritime crime and ensuring security in the East Sea, known internationally as South China Sea.

Vietnam also makes substantive contributions to ASEAN-led regional mechanisms and consistently conducts joint patrols and information-sharing with neighbouring countries such as China, the Philippines, and Malaysia, thereby enhancing law enforcement and emergency response at sea.

The diplomat reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and to working with other countries toward an effective, substantive Code of Conduct (COC) that is consistent with international law, especially UNCLOS.

The debate demonstrated broad consensus on the urgent need for accelerated collective action to protect shared maritime spaces, to ensure the safety and sustainability of maritime activities - an increasingly critical factor for global economic development, peace, and stability.

Vietnam affirms commitment to international law, boosts maritime cooperation

VOV.VN - A regional workshop on the role of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in the settlement of disputes relating to the Law of the Sea opened on May 5 at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam in Hanoi.