New Delhi (VNA) – A conference on the UnitedNations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is being held in Port Blair,Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India, taking the theme “UNCLOS: Solutions forManaging the Maritime Global Commons”.

The event from October 4-6 drew diplomats of thePhilippines, Laos, Thailand, Singapore, Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam, Japan, andGermany, along with Indian officials and local and foreign researchers.

Speaking at the conference, India’s Vice AdmiralVinay Badhwar highlighted the role of UNCLOS, stressing that this conventioncreated a legal framework for the sustainable development of oceans and seas soas to balance the rights and obligations of non-landlocked countries towardsothers.

Jagdish Mukhi, Lieutenant Governor of Andamanand Nicobar Islands, said UNCLOS is broadly recognised as a “constitution ofthe oceans” when it sets up a legal framework with which all activities inoceans and seas must comply, including the conservation and sustainable use ofoceans and their resources.

He expressed his hope that the conference woulddiscuss an array of issues, including the UNCLOS’s long-term legality, thecontinued application of the convention, the role of the UNCLOS in creatingconditions for peacefully resolving disputes, and solutions to settle seadisputes harmoniously.

Maritime issues have been emerging as one of themost important security problems in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, making manypowerful countries adjust their policies towards this region, he noted.

Each country’s adherence to all internationallaw and rulings of international courts is critical to global peace, JagdishMukhi affirmed, calling on all countries to augment capacity building effortsin order to protect oceans and bring about chances to all countries to usemarine resources in a peaceful, equal and sustainable fashion.

In his speech, Vietnamese Ambassador to IndiaTon Sinh Thanh underscored the importance of the East Sea in terms of itsstrategic location and natural resources. 

He noted two types of disputes in the East Seaat present which are territorial disputes over islands and disputes overmaritime boundary, and they are related to each other.

The Hague tribunal’s verdict over thePhilippines’ lawsuit against China last year is a foundation to solve not onlyissues between the Philippines and China but also disputes between parties withsovereign claims in the East Sea, Thanh said, adding that thanks to thisruling, disputed areas in the waters have reduced considerably.

However, the diplomat said, the East Seasituation remains complicated and the only solution to this problem is peacefulnegotiation in line with international law, especially the 1982 UNCLOS.

He urged parties with sovereign claims in theEast Sea to avoid complicating the situation by not altering the status quo ofthis area and respecting the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the EastSea (DOC). 

Thanh also stressed the role of the collectivestrength of regional nations and powerful countries in the world, includingIndia, in the East Sea issue.-VNA