Seven hundred domestic and foreign delegates have gathered at Da Nang’s Furama Resort to attend the 5^th East Asian Seas Congress which is taking place from 16 - 20 November.  The event takes ‘Global Targets - Local Benefits: Setting the Sustainable Development Agenda for the Seas of East Asia beyond 2015’ as its theme.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the congress on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai remarked that about 50% of the world’s total volume of sea cargo is transported through the East Asian seas.

Some of the delegates at the opening ceremony

He said proudly that Viet Nam boasts a coastline of over 3,000km, and a resource-rich exclusive economic zone of over 1 million km².  He remarked that Viet Nam is aiming to become stronger and richer from the sea by 2020.  The national marine economy will account for about 55% of the country’s total gross domestic product (GDP) and 60% of its total export turnover.

He took the opportunity to appeal to the world community to join efforts to build a peaceful and stable environment in the seas of East Asia by promoting the enforcement of international laws, and to ensure maritime and aviation security and safety.  The focus should be on boosting bilateral and multilateral cooperation amongst East Asian countries to protect their seas and islands, their marine environments and ecosystems, and their fisheries resources.  Therefore, these countries are all in need of help from international organisations, and especially the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA).

Heed should be paid to successfully implementing the Sustainable Development Strategy for the Seas of East Asia (SDS-SEA) and other international commitments related to the sustainable development of seas, coasts and islands, and to strengthening cooperation between these countries to effectively solve any regional issues.