Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, along with world leaders, on June 9 participated in a special event to support and promote the signing process of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), widely known as the High Seas Treaty, according to a report from the Government News.

The event, held within the framework of the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3), in Nice, France, was solemnly organized by the United Nations to highlight the High Seas Treaty and encourage countries to become parties to the most important international maritime agreement of the 21st century to date.

It saw the participation of 35 countries that signed or deposited instruments of ratification or approval of the agreement during the UNOC 3.

Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son handed over a diplomatic note to Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel Elinor Jane Britt Hammarskjöld to formally notify that the Government of Vietnam has approved the High Seas Treaty.

Vietnam is among the first countries to sign the treaty on the very first day it was opened for signature and among the first nations completing domestic procedures to become a party to the agreement. This sends a strong message that Vietnam is an active and responsible member of the international community, working hand in hand with countries around the world to address global issues related to the seas and oceans.

The Vietnamese Prime Minister's participation in this meaningful event demonstrates the Vietnamese Government's determination and concrete actions in support of the global community's joint efforts to build a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable ocean.

This is the third agreement under the framework of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), reaffirming the Convention's role and significance as the comprehensive legal framework governing all activities at sea and in the oceans.

The treaty will enter into force 120 days after 60 countries have deposited their instruments of ratification or approval.