Reporter: The adoption of VNLOS could be considered the localization of the UNCLOS in Vietnam. Could you please elaborate more about the policy and principles of Vietnam when applying the above two legal documents to the demarcation of waters and dealing with arising issues at sea in reality, sir? Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh: First, There are two basic legal documents that we rely on when exploiting resources, protecting and operating in Vietnamese waters. They are UNCLOS internationally and VNLOS domestically. At present, there are a lot of conventions, international laws or legal documents. They are not issued by any courts, but built based on the commitments of coastal and island states. Due to the characteristics of UNCLOS, each country needs to devise its own law of the sea, but basically all of those laws must comply with and be based on UNCLOS. Generally, international conventions or laws at large, not only on the sea, are loose to some extents, but first … [Read more...] about Part 3: Upholding VNLOS is upholding international law
Largest law firms in the world
Protesters at U.S. Supreme Court decry abortion ruling overturning Roe v. Wade
The sweeping ruling by the court, with a 6-3 conservative majority, was set to alter American life, with nearly half the states considered certain or likely to ban abortion. Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas suggested the court's reasoning could also lead it to reconsider past rulings protecting the right to contraception, legalizing gay marriage nationwide, and invalidating state laws banning gay sex. As the day progressed, the number of demonstrators outside the Supreme Court increased substantially. The fenced-off area in front of the high court was filled largely with those demanding abortion rights. Crowds carried posters with slogans such as "Abort SCOTUS." One protester carried a placard that said "limit guns, not women" in reference to another Supreme Court decision this week expanding gun rights. Earlier in the afternoon, a supporter of Friday's ruling said: "The thing that 'my body, my choice' advocates don't get is that the aborted baby never had a choice." The … [Read more...] about Protesters at U.S. Supreme Court decry abortion ruling overturning Roe v. Wade
Đồng Nai Biosphere Reserve must not be spoilt
Illustration by Trịnh Lập by Nguyễn Mỹ Hà Local residents and environmentalists have been spreading the news that UNESCO Việt Nam has opposed an official letter from the Đồng Nai People's Committee consulting on a contractor's proposal to build a 40km highway with a bridge across the core zone of the Đồng Nai Biosphere Reserve. VnExpress news website reported that UNESCO Việt Nam, in response to the letter, strongly suggested not building a road across the world biosphere for fear the damage would impact flora and fauna in reserve. It added that the full biodiverse ecological corridor would be affected. Vehicles moving on the road could accidentally kill animals crossing it, and the construction process would pollute the soil, air and groundwater. If this happens, the criteria for a world biosphere would not be met, and Đồng Nai Reserve could be crossed off the list of world biospheres. It also cited that building a bridge and a national highway failed to meet Việt Nam's … [Read more...] about Đồng Nai Biosphere Reserve must not be spoilt
PM attends Da Nang 2022 Investment Forum
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at Da Nang 2022 Investment Forum Da Nang – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on June 25 attended the Da Nang 2022 Investment Forum held in both online and in-person formats in the central city of the same name with the participation of a total of 900 delegates. The forum was held to popularise the potential, advantages and chances of investment of the city; and to attract both domestic and foreign investment. Participants spoke highly of the city’s business and investment environment and expressed their hope that Da Nang will pay attention to the strategic infrastructure and concertedly implement the laws related to investment so as to create favourable conditions for firms in their investment, business and production. The PM thanked the international community for its support to and positive assessments of Vietnam in the pandemic fight, and stressed his government is committed to continuing the building of an investment environment which … [Read more...] about PM attends Da Nang 2022 Investment Forum
Vietnamese cashew industry sees trade deficit for the first time
The US, China, and the EU remain the three largest markets for Vietnamese cashew, accounting for 26.8 percent, 17.7 percent, and 20.5 percent of the total export value of the cashew industry of Vietnam, respectively. Cashew nut exports to the US market declined by 10.1 percent in volume and 30.5 percent in value over the same period last year. Cashew nut exports to the EU market surged by 14 percent in volume but dropped by 21.2 percent in value. Cashew nut exports to China jumped by 136.4 percent in volume and 140.2 percent in value. Meanwhile, Vietnamese cashew processing enterprises imported 480,000 tons of raw cashew in April, spending up to $772 million, a sharp increase of 375 percent in volume and 470.5 percent in value compared to that in April last year. In the first four months of this year, Vietnam imported a total of 1.19 million tons of raw cashew, with a value of up to $1.88 billion, up 300 percent in volume and 323.5 percent in value over the same period last year. … [Read more...] about Vietnamese cashew industry sees trade deficit for the first time
Paul Christiansen: A literary bridge between Vietnamese and American cultures
Paul Christiansen’s Beneath Saigon’s Chò Nâu offers insights into the deep love the author has nurtured for Ho Chi Minh City during his six years as a resident. Beneath Saigon's Chò Nâu , to be published later in 2022 by Phuong Nam Cultural Corporation and The Gioi Publishing House, is a bilingual anthology of essays on Vietnam. Through these essays, written in both English and Vietnamese, readers are offered insights into Paul Christiansen's perspective on Ho Chi Minh City and the gratitude he has developed toward his adopted home. A special love for Ho Chi Minh City During his time in Ho Chi Minh City, Christiansen’s unwavering love for the city, despite its flaws, is highlighted most in his essays On Loving the Saigon Zoo Despite its Flaws and In Defense of Saigon’s Most Neglected Museum. "I would like to think of these essays as love letters because I am very lucky to live in Saigon and make Vietnam my home," the American writer said in an interview with Tuoi … [Read more...] about Paul Christiansen: A literary bridge between Vietnamese and American cultures
Part 1: A fair look into UNCLOS 1982 needed
That statement was made by Dr. Tran Cong Truc, former head of the Government Border Committee. An international comprehensive legal document On April 30, 1982, the third U.N. Conference on the Law of the Sea passed a new convention named The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982. On June 23, 1994, Vietnam was one of the first countries in the world to ratify the convention and became a member of UNCLOS. According to Dr. Tran Cong Truc, UNCLOS 1982 was built on the basis of “whole package,” including all aspects related to the law of the sea. This is a comprehensive international legal document that consists of all the most important legal contents and practices in reality concerning seas and oceans. The most important part of the convention is that it devises a united measure of defining waters and continental shelf under the sovereignty and sovereign and jurisdiction rights of coastal countries. The convention also defines clearly the rights and … [Read more...] about Part 1: A fair look into UNCLOS 1982 needed