Vietnam Joins Global Oceans Conference

A delegation from the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment led by Minister Pham Khoi Nguyen took part in the 5th Global Oceans Conference in Paris from May 3-7. The conference, themed “Ensuring Survival, Preserving Life and Improving Governance”, took place on the occasion of the International Year of Biodiversity and the 50th founding anniversary of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. On the sidelines of the Global Oceans Conference, Minister Nguyen worked with the Supreme Council of Notaries of France (SCN) and met with President of the Global Environment Fund (GEF) Monique Barbut. At the meeting with the GEF President, Minister Nguyen emphasized Vietnam’s demands in the coming time, including the integrated management of coasts, marine biodiversity and the lower section of the Mekong River, and adaptability to climate change. For her part, President Monique Barbut spoke highly of Vietnam’s efforts in the management of natural resources and environment. She pledged to provide Vietnam with a non-refundable aid of around $30 million to implement environmental projects under the GEF 5 plan and stressed that Vietnam is one of the first countries to receive GEF aid. The Vietnamese delegation also visited the National Library of France and the French Agency of Defense History to study and collect data on Vietnam’s sovereignty as well as marine and island resources in the East Sea region.