Vietnam underlines importance of maritime technologies to sustainable development
VOV.VN - Minister Counsellor Le Thi Minh Thoa, deputy permanent representative of Vietnam to the UN, underscored the importance of maritime technologies to the cause of sustainable development while addressing the ongoing 23rd meeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and Law of the Sea (ICP23) held in New York.
The meeting opened with the theme of “New Maritime Technologies: Challenges and Opportunities” and is takin place from June 5 to June 9, featuring the participation of nearly 100 representatives of UN member states and international organisations.
In her remarks, Minister Counsellor Thoa, said the nation, which proposed the theme for the event, fully understands the importance of reforming, applying, and transferring maritime technologies in support of sustainable maritime economic development, whilst minimising climate change impacts on coastal countries.
Emphasizing the crucial role of regional and international co-operation in developing and applying maritime technologies, Minister Counsellor Thoa suggested that countries boost the development and transfer of maritime science and technologies in fair and reasonable terms and conditions, in conformity with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
She therefore called for favourable conditions to be given to developing countries to access advanced maritime technologies in preferential terms, adding that the application of those technologies must abide by UNCLOS, the comprehensive legal framework regulating all sea and ocean related activities.
As part of the occasion, Minister Counsellor Thoa applauded the nation’s achievements in carrying out the national strategy for sustainable maritime economic development by 2030, with a vision towards 2045, and the national strategy on climate change by 2050. This particularly focuses on the application of maritime technologies to oil and gas exploration and exploitation, fishing, sea transportation, and hydro-meteorological forecasting.
At the meeting, Nguyen Ba Thuy, deputy director of the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, presented a report on the situation of marine hydro-meteorological monitoring and forecasting in the nation.
He also proposed some fields aimed at stepping up international ties to create conditions for developing countries to access new maritime technologies, including monitoring devices and forecasting technologies, to help with sustainable maritime economic development.
The IPC23 is the first among a series of sea and ocean related events at the UN in June, including a ceremony marking the World Ocean Day on June 8, the 33rd meeting of states parties to the UNCLOS, as well as a meeting to adopt an international legal document on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in sea areas beyond national jurisdiction.