Hybrid, grey zone activities spotlighted at 11th Ocean Dialogue

The function, held by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV), the UK Embassy in Vietnam, and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) foundation’s Vietnam Office, drew more than 100 delegates attending in person and over 50 others via videoconference, including 20 experts from 14 countries.

Participants spent time to discuss the trend seen in many countries of using hybrid activities in the region and throughout the world, including grey zone activities in the East Sea. They shared numerous viewpoints on hybrid activities and countries’ experience in responding to grey zone activities, as well as looking to debate and make policy and legal proposals for managing activities to ensure order at sea.

In his opening remarks, Dr Nguyen Hung Son, deputy director of the DAV, said that hybrid activities are not a new phenomenon in the world, with many grey zone activities yet to be fully identified or assessed on the basis of international law.

The dialogue aimed to scrutinise the nature of those activities, the lack of goodwill in applying and interpreting international law, or the taking advantage of unclear regulations of international laws to weaken international law, thereby devising a more effective response to this strategy.

Speakers at the event discussed hybrid and grey zone activities taking place throughout the region, including the East Sea, pointing out that hybrid activities combine traditional and non-traditional, military, and non-military measures. Indeed, they are often conducted by non-state entities but supported by states; keeping the situation below the red line of war; and often taking place in transition zones between different spaces, entities, or rules.

They stated that grey zone and hybrid activities pose legal challenges and affecting the international order. In particular, the development of technology has been making challenges from those activities clearer, whilst grey zone activities occur not only in the field, but also other aspects such as economics, including sanctions, embargoes, and trade restrictions, as well as information, such as intentional misinformation.

Suggesting some initiatives for countries both in and outside the region to better manage hybrid activities and effectively respond to grey zone activities, the dialogue outlined that countries should enhance co-ordination of actions among relevant agencies, as well as seek to improve the capacity of identifying grey zone challenges and differentiating hybrid activities with legal purposes from grey zone activities with illegal intentions.

Countries and international organisations should perfect the legal frameworks on hybrid activities, with international co-operation also being the key for countries to co-ordinate actions to better manage hybrid activities, delegates noted.

The Ocean Dialogue, initiated by the DAV, aims to connect scientists to discuss marine science, policies, and legal frameworks towards sustainable ocean governance.