On the morning of November 6, 2024, the East Asia Seas Congress 2024 with the theme "Blue Synergy for a Shared Future: One Sustainable and Resilient Ocean" was officially opened at the Xiamen International Conference Center, Xiamen City, China.
The event was held concurrently with World Ocean Week from November 6 to 8, 2024, co-hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China, the People's Government of Xiamen City, and the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA).
The delegation from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Viet Nam, led by Mr. Nguyen Duc Toan, Director General of the Viet Nam Sea and Island Department, participated in the Congress. In addition, leaders of localities that are members of PEMSEA's networks also attended, including representatives from Da Nang city, Quang Nam province, and Thua Thien-Hue.
The East Asia Seas Congress is organized by PEMSEA every three years, rotating among member countries. It is an international conference focusing on sustainable development and the management of coastal and ocean areas, with a focus on the East Asian seas.
Director General of the Viet Nam Sea and Islands Administration Nguyen Duc Toan spoke at the Conference
The morning session of the conference on November 6, 2024, included an important event: the Ministerial Forum and the signing of the Ministerial Declaration, with the dialogue theme "From Declarations to Implementation: Innovations, Opportunities, and Prospects for the EAS Region." Alongside this, several other activities took place as part of the Congress, including an exhibition showcasing the achievements in sustainable development of the seas and coastal areas by countries in the East Asian Seas region; dialogues on the synergistic effects of ensuring multi-stakeholder participation and the science-policy interface; innovation in technology and approaches; green investment/finance; international workshops on topics like Ocean Innovation and Finance, Ocean Science, Policy, and Practice; Global Challenges, Local Solutions; the annual forum and meeting of the PEMSEA Local Governments Network (PNLG); the PEMSEA Academic Centres Network (PNLC); and more.
The Congress evaluated the progress made and the challenges in achieving regional and global commitments and goals, while also outlining the path forward for building greater cooperative actions through collaboration, coordination, and knowledge sharing among stakeholders, ensuring the goal of a sustainable and resilient ocean for a shared future.
Delegates taking souvenir photos
At the Ministerial Forum on the morning of November 6, the Viet Nam's Director General of the Sea and Island Department Nguyen Duc Toan delivered a speech and presented Viet Nam’s stance on the topic of green finance.
Director General Toan stated that green finance and green investment are emerging areas with significant potential. With more than half of the population living in coastal areas, where a substantial workforce is engaged in marine-related industries, Vietnam’s green economy is not only a driving force for regional prosperity but also contributes to the country’s development.
Viet Nam has set a strategic goal to become a maritime powerhouse, rich from the sea. The strategy for sustainable marine economic development by 2030, with a vision to 2045, was approved in 2018. This strategy introduces policies and breakthroughs for the development of a green marine economy, emphasizing green growth models and environmental protection. To implement this strategy, the Vietnamese government has also issued an overall plan and a five-year action plan.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment delegation led by Mr. Nguyen Duc Toan, Director General of the Vietnam Sea and Islands Administration, attended the Congress.
Director General Toan also mentioned that Viet Nam has made significant strides in improving the institutional framework for sustainable marine economic development by enacting several strategies, such as the Strategy for Sustainable Exploitation and Use of Marine Resources, Environmental Protection of the Seas and Islands by 2030, with a vision to 2050; the National Marine Spatial Planning for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050; and the Comprehensive Planning for Sustainable Coastal Resource Exploitation and Use for the 2021-2030 period, with a vision to 2050.
"In line with our commitment to the Sustainable Development Strategy for the East Asian Seas (SDS-SEA), Vietnam has made significant efforts to promote integrated coastal zone management and collaborate with other countries in the region to ensure the sustainable development of seas and coastal areas in the East Asian Seas. With the support of international organizations, especially PEMSEA, Viet Nam has successfully implemented SDS-SEA. Specifically, we have expanded the scope of Integrated Coastal Zone Management to all 28 coastal provinces and cities under central government administration; enacted the Law on Marine and Island Resources and Environment; developed and published the National Report on the State of Oceans and Coastal Areas; the National Report on the State of Marine and Island Environment for the 2016-2021 period; and carried out many activities at both the national and local levels," said Director General Nguyen Duc Toan.
However, according to Director General Toan, a reality is that the resources for implementing green projects are still very limited, and the capacity for implementation has not improved. "We hope that, through forums like today, PEMSEA, international organizations, and governments of countries will strengthen international cooperation to mobilize more financial resources and enhance technology transfer to promote the green economy and green finance. Only in this way can we achieve meaningful results”, he noted.
The Director General of Vietnam's Sea and Island Department further stated that Viet Nam reaffirms its commitment to continue cooperating with all countries in the region and other partners, sharing experiences and best practices toward the common goal of sustainable development in the East Asian Seas. "We are committed to continuing to support and implement SDS-SEA in Viet Nam”.
"We are committed to continuing to support the goals of PEMSEA and implementing the SDS-SEA Action Plan for 2023-2027 to effectively govern the seas and coastal areas, people, and the international economy, while developing and strengthening our regional partnerships and cooperation," emphasized Director General Nguyen Duc Toan.
The East Asia Seas Congress 2024 was attended by representatives from PEMSEA member countries, international organizations, non-governmental partners of PEMSEA, the PEMSEA Local Governments Network, the PEMSEA Academic Centers Network, United Nations organizations, civil society organizations and youth, research institutes, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector.