Under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, Vietnam has the right to all resources in more than 1 million square kilometers of waters and continental shelf, three times the area of Vietnam’s mainland. Under UNCLOS and international law Vietnam also has undeniable sovereign rights over the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos.

Vietnam fully abides by UNCLOS

As a Convention member, Vietnam has always respected and fully honored its obligations under the Convention, fine-tuned its legal system, and used the Convention’s regulations in delimitating its sovereign waters and borders with neighboring countries for purposes of management and exploitation of resources, and at the same time has promoted maritime cooperation with other countries in line with the Convention toward the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources to ensure sustainable growth.

In 2012 Vietnam issued the Law of the Sea of Vietnam to strengthen management, use, and exploitation of the marine resources of Vietnam’s seas, islands, and continental shelf, and to settle maritime disputes with other countries. Vietnam integrated into the law the regulations of the 1982 UNCLOS in order to facilitate management of the sea and boost maritime economic growth.

In 2015 the Vietnamese National Assembly adopted the 2015 Maritime Code, which took effect on July 1, 2017, to regulate marine travel and arrivals and departures at Vietnam’s seaports.

Vietnam has also promulgated a number of other legal documents concerning sea and ocean management and use, including the 2015 Law on Natural Resources, Marine Environment, and Islands; the 2014 Law on Environmental Protection; the 2003 Law on National Borders; and Government Decrees on protecting maritime sites and managing traffic in maritime border areas.

1982 UNCLOS enforcement enhanced

With a consistent policy of settling disputes at sea by peaceful means, Vietnam has applied the 1982 UNCLOS to settle disputes on sea delineation with neighboring countries and upheld the principle of equality in seeking appropriate solutions. Vietnam signed an Agreement on Sea Delineation with Thailand in 1997, an Agreement on Tonkin Gulf Delineation in 2000 with China, and an Agreement on Continental Shelf Delineation with Indonesia in 2003. Those agreements reflect the 1982 UNCLOS and international law on sea delineation.

Based on UNCLOS, Vietnam is accelerating negotiations with China on maritime delineation and cooperation in areas outside the Tonkin Gulf, with Indonesia on the delineation of an Exclusive Economic Zone, and with other neighboring countries on other maritime issues.

Vietnam has consistently acted to defend international law, including UNCLOS. At international forums on the East Sea issue, Vietnam has repeatedly asked other countries to respect international law and UNCLOS in settling maritime disputes. Vietnam made sure that the principles of UNCLOS were included in such ASEAN documents as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and the 2012 6-point ASEAN Declaration on the East Sea, as well as in the draft Code of Conduct in the East Sea. Vietnam ensured that the principle of respecting international law and UNCLOS when resolving disputes in the East Sea was part of the Agreement on Fundamental Principles guiding the settlement of maritime disputes that Vietnam and China signed on November 10, 2011.

Everything Vietnam has done reflects a respect for the 1982 UNCLOS and a consistent policy of following UNCLOS when settling maritime disputes. China’s false claim of sovereignty over parts of the East Sea flouts international law, disregards history and facts, and defies the international community. Respecting the 1982 UNCLOS is vital to maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation in the region.  Vietnam urges all countries to respect international law and UNCLOS to ensure peace in the East Sea and promote prosperity for all countries in the region.