The importance of settling disputes at sea by peaceful means based on international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1982, was highlighted at an ASEAN workshop in Hanoi, Vietnam on Wednesday.

The event, the fourth ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Workshop, was co-organized by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the EU, Australia, and New Zealand.

About 200 representatives from 27 ARF member countries, regional and international organizations, diplomatic offices, and research institutes were in attendance.

The two-day seminar focused on implementing the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other international instruments meant to address emerging maritime issues.

In his opening speech, Nguyen Minh Vu, assistant to Vietnam's foreign minister, reiterated the significance of UNCLOS in the settlement of maritime issues, especially in the context of emerging challenges that require intensive and extensive international cooperation to solve.

UNCLOS sets important standards for countries in the region to strengthen trust and promote cooperation for peace, security, and prosperity, Vu said, adding that all maritime disputes should be addressed by peaceful measures based on international law.

Deputy head of the EU Delegation to Vietnam Thomas Wiersing underlined the leading role of ASEAN in promoting regional peace and stability, affirming the EU’s support for the early completion of negotiations on a substantive and legally binding Code of Conduct (COC) for the East Vietnam Sea.

Mark Tattersall, chargé d’affaires of the Australian Embassy in Hanoi, spoke on the importance of the ARF’s role in security and cooperation dialogues in the Indo-Pacific region.

He spoke highly of the workshop’s agenda, which included marine biodiversity conservation in waters beyond national jurisdiction, offshore nuclear reactors, and the delimitation of maritime zones amid rising sea levels.

Georgina Roberths, head of New Zealand’s ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM), shared her appreciation for the role that maritime areas play in establishing peace, security, and development in the region.

She also stressed the need to use international law, including UNCLOS, to peacefully resolve disputes. 

In general, most of the delegates agreed to consider UNCLOS as the most crucial legal tool in maintaining regional peace and stability, serving as a framework for settling both longstanding and emerging maritime issues in the region.

On Thursday – the workshop’s second working day – representatives were scheduled to discuss international cooperation efforts for sustainable use and conservation of seas and oceans. 

Established in 1994, the ASEAN Regional Forum is aimed at fostering constructive dialogue and consultation on political and security issues of common interest and concern, and at making significant contributions to efforts toward confidence-building and preventive diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific region.

Among the 27 AFR members are 10 ASEAN member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) and ASEAN’s dialogue partners, including the U.S., EU, China, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, India, Russia, and South Korea, among others.

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