International law as the foundation for managing issues in the East Sea
WVR - On the morning of October 7, on the sidelines of the 18th International Conference on the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea), themed “Contestation, connectivity and cooperation: The South China Sea and the regional maritime order,” Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Jim Nickel spoke to The World and Vietnam Report about the significance of the Conference and the role of cooperation in promoting dialogue.
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| Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Jim Nickel. (Photo: Ngoc Anh) |
Affirming the importance of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam’s 18th International Conference on the East Sea, Ambassador Jim Nickel said the conference contributes to managing differences, promoting connectivity, and strengthening cooperation among the coastal states of the East Sea, while also providing an opportunity for partners from outside the region, including Canada, to contribute to these efforts.
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According to the Ambassador, for Canada as well as many other countries, one of the key issues is ensuring that matters in the East Sea are managed on the basis of international law, with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) serving as a key foundation. Ambassador Jim Nickel stressed that this is of paramount importance.
Beyond international law, the Ambassador noted that the regional maritime environment is closely linked to a range of other issues, including climate change, the environment, biodiversity, and nature conservation. The East Sea is also a space where numerous communication, energy, electricity, and other connectivity networks intersect.
In particular, a very large portion of global trade passes through the East Sea. Therefore, Ambassador Jim Nickel said, all these issues need to be managed in a cooperative and peaceful manner.
Promoting peaceful approaches and diplomatic engagement
Addressing practical forms of cooperation that can help countries better manage maritime risks and strengthen their ability to respond to shared challenges, Ambassador Jim Nickel said that, given the risks that are ever-present, particularly in a region such as the East Sea, it is important to adopt peaceful approaches to resolving disputes and managing risks.
Accordingly, peaceful approaches should be based on international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS. This should serve as the foundation for responses, risk management, and efforts to de-escalate issues when they arise.
Ambassador Jim Nickel also emphasised the importance of maintaining consultation and diplomatic engagement among partners. In his view, the ongoing negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) represent a very important development in this regard.
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| Group photo at the Conference. (Photo: Thanh Long) |
Scope for Vietnam-Canada cooperation
Ambassador Jim Nickel said Canada is very pleased to have the opportunity to work with Vietnam to maintain peace and stability, strengthen resilience, and promote economic development in the region.
He described Vietnam as a key maritime partner and player. The livelihoods of its people, its economic well-being, and even the country’s identity are closely associated with the East Sea.
In the field of maritime transportation, Canada is working closely with Vietnam to promote safe and secure maritime transportation, as well as cleaner and greener transportation on the oceans.
Canada will also work closely with Vietnam on the energy transition. According to the Ambassador, this is an important step toward mitigating the risks posed by climate change and reducing CO₂ emissions, an issue closely connected to the seas.
In addition, given Vietnam’s significant exposure to the impacts of climate change, including severe storms that cause flooding, landslides, and devastating effects on infrastructure and agriculture, Canada is working with Vietnam to identify ways to strengthen resilience to climate change.
These efforts focus on agriculture, infrastructure, and other areas aimed at addressing the impacts of climate change in Vietnam.
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