As for coastal states, the maintenance of peace, security and cooperation on the basis of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is very important, a Vietnamese official said. Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Le Hoai Trung made the statement while attending the 23rd meeting of State Parties to the UNCLOS, which was opened in New York on June 10 and would last until 14. As for most of the East Sea’s coastal states, which are developing countries and States Parties to the UNCLOS, incomes created from the use and exploitation of this sea make important contribution to the economies of these coastal states, including Vietnam, Trung said.

In the East Sea, the ambassador said, fishing is a traditional means of living for millions of people, most of them are poor. Therefore, it is responsibility for all governments to provide safe and stable conditions for fishermen when they operate at sea to make their living. However, in recent years a lot of incidents have occurred in the East Sea, in which fishermen were harassed, arrested and detained or even became victims of the use of force while they were operating in their traditional fishing grounds, Trung said. Therefore, pending solutions for territorial and maritime disputes, coastal nations should strictly abide by the Convention’s principles, including the negotiations for provisional arrangements for fishing activities and to ensure safety for fishermen, the diplomat said. The ambassador emphasized that conducting unilateral actions, such as imposing fishing bans or using military or para-military ships to enforce the domestic laws in disputed areas shall not only violate the UNCLOS but also further complicate the situation. The official also introduced to the meeting Vietnam’s maritime law, which has been effective since January 1, 2013, and affirmed that the law is totally conformable with the UNCLOS.