New York (VNA) – All countries, regardless of bigor small, must have goodwill and responsibility to comply with regulations inthe 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS),Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Phuong Nga has said at a plenum of the UN GeneralAssembly.

The UN General Assembly convened a plenarymeeting at the UN’s headquarters in New York, the US, on December 7 with afocus on Agenda Item 73, themed “Oceans and the law of the sea”.

Participants in the event includedrepresentatives of UN member states, the International Seabed Authority (ISA),and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).

They discussed the UN General Assembly’s draftresolutions on oceans and the law of the sea, sustainable fisheries, and theWorld Tuna Day. They also looked into reports by the UN Secretary-General onissues pertaining to oceans and the law of the sea.

In her speech, Ambassador Nga, head of Vietnam’sPermanent Mission to the UN, lauded recent efforts by the UN General Assemblyand subordinate agencies, especially those to attain the outcomes of the 17thmeeting of the UN Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and theLaw of the Sea, the 26th meeting of States Parties to the UNCLOS, and meetingsof the preparatory committee on the conservation and sustainable use of marinebiological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Vietnam also highly values the success of theISA’s 22nd session, efforts to consider reports of the Commission on the Limitsof the Continental Shelf, and activities of the ITLOS and other disputesettlement mechanisms to interpret and apply the 1982 UNCLOS, she noted.

She affirmed that this Convention is the mostimportant legal document stipulating all ocean and sea-related activities, and isalso a comprehensive and effective framework to peacefully resolve disputes. Itcontributes to peace and security while ensuring safety, security and freedomof navigation and overflight at sea.

As one of the first nations to sign and ratifythe UNCLOS, Vietnam has continually adhered to the Convention’s regulations,respected rights and legitimate interests of other countries, and activelyengaged in activities held within the Convention’s framework, Nga added.

Regarding complex developments in the East Sea,the diplomat stressed that Vietnam calls on all relevant parties to exerciseself-restraint, settle disputes by peaceful means on the basis of internationallaw, including UNCLOS, respect diplomatic and legal processes, implement theDeclaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and expeditiouslyfinalise a Code of Conduct (COC) in the waters.-VNA