At the session, delegates reviewed the process of formation and the importance of the UNCLOS 1982 which is considered as the UN “charter of the oceans” after 25 years of enforcement.
Prof. Stanislaw Michal Pawlak, Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), said the UNCLOS 1982 became effective on November 16, 1994. The convention created a comprehensive legal system, helping to shape the order at oceans and seas around the world and establish principles to adjust the use of resources of the oceans and seas, he said.
Over the last quarter of the century, the UNCLOS 1982 has remarkably contributed to ensuring peace, cooperation and friendly relations among nations across the globe, he said.
While highlighting a number of major contents of the UNCLOS 1982, Pawlak said, for coastal states, the convention has clear regulations stipulating the sovereignty, sovereignty rights and jurisdiction over their exclusive economic zones and continental shelves.
Under the terms of the UNCLOS 1982, the member states must settle any disputes among parties concerned via peaceful measures in line with Article 2 of the United Nations Charter, he added.
While evaluating the ITLOS, the judge said the tribunal was set up under the UNCLOS 1982 and has experienced a process of smooth operation. Over the past 23 years, as many as 28 lawsuits have been lodged to the tribunal, covering a wide range of aspects, he said.
Pawlak affirmed that the ITLOS has contributed to promoting respect for law at sea as well as maintaining peace, justice and progress in international relations.
During the session, leading experts and scholars of Vietnam and foreign countries discussed a variety of aspects regarding the application of the UNCLOS 1982 in specific lawsuits as well as solutions to force coastal nations to comply with the convention.
The 11th South China Sea International Conference with the theme of “Cooperation for regional security and development” is being co-organized in Hanoi on November 6 and 7 by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (DAV), the Foundation for East Sea Studies (FESS) and the Vietnam Lawyers Association (VLA). It has brought together more than 50 speakers and some 250 officials, scholars and diplomats of Vietnam and foreign countries.
Source: VNA