Environmental and maritime security for a Blue East Sea

• All nations responsible for maintaining peace in East Sea
• NAM summit called for the settlement of all disputes in the East Sea by peaceful means
• Frankly report about situation related to East Sea and Formusa
• ''The East Sea dispute should be resolved by international law"

The Workshop focuses to discuss three main topics, namely: environmental security of the East Sea under the tribunal award; security of navigation and overflight in the East Sea under the tribunal award; initiatives and solutions for a Blue East Sea.

Attending the workshop are about 150 participants from Minitries, branches, localities and related international organisations, including leading international and national scholars, researchers, managers who are specialized in maritime resources and environment, in safety of navigation and overflight, in the Law of the Sea, and interested in and doing research on current situation in the East Sea.

The purposes of this scientific workshop include: creating forum for scientists, managers and international and national experts to exchange on issues and challenges with regard to marine environmental security, safety and security of navigation and overflight in the East Sea; sharing experience, good practice for building a Blue East Sea; recommending initiatives and “blue” solutions to ensure the environmental security, safety and security of navigation and overflight in the East Sea in the context of the “post-award”; and enhancing and expanding the network of marine scientific research in the East Sea among Vietnamese scientists and the international scientific community.

Through this international seminar, scientists and managers to attend would like to send a message: “Join hand to build a Blue East Sea - a healthy, prosperous and peaceful ocean!”

During the workshop, the organiser will present an exhibition titled “Environment of the East Sea and research and marine protection activities of Hai Phong” and a half-day field trip to coastal area of Hai Phong for foreign participants who are interested in.

The East Sea - a semi-closed sea surrounded by most of ASEAN countries and China - possesses a geopolitical position critical to countries within and outside the region, as well as to the entire international community, where through which more than $5 trillion of trade moves annually.

Ensuring the safety and freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea is crucial to the economic development and stability of the region and the world. Besides, the East Sea is also an area of high value in terms of science and environment, as well as a place that 70% of population in the Southeast Asia are living in.

For the past time, on the bilateral and multilateral basis, countries in the region have made efforts in seeking solutions to address the above challenges in freedom of navigation and overflight and as well as environment in order to maintain peace, stability and protect the ecosystem in the East Sea.

The recent developments, including the Award of 12 July 2016 rendered by the Arbitral Tribunal established under Annex VII of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) over the arbitration between the Philippines and China, which refers to several issues related to the environmental issue in the South China Sea, have proven the urgency of cooperation, maintenance of environmental and maritime security in the East Sea.