The two-day event, jointly held by the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the European Commission (EC), aims to review the marine security situation and cooperation activities within the ARF framework, as well as propose new activities and initiatives for the next period.
At the meeting, delegates exchanged their views on the regional maritime security situation, including cooperation results and the current challenges, while reviewing the operations of mechanisms, sharing information on the guidelines, policies and measures implemented at national and regional levels, and discussing the topics of maritime safety, the marine environment and sustainable development.
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Delegates pose for a photo together at the 11th ARF Inter-sessional Meeting on Maritime Security in Da Nang city on March 14. (Photo: VOV)
In addition, they listened to reports on the results of the activities carried out in the past inter-sessional year, including the ARF Workshop on the execution of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and other legal documents to deal with emerging marine challenges, co-chaired by Vietnam and Australia on February 26-27, 2019, in Khanh Hoa province’s Nha Trang city, and the second ARF Workshop on strengthening law enforcement cooperation at sea, jointly held by Vietnam, Australia and the European Union in Da Nang on March 12-13, 2019.
As planned, delegates will discuss and agree on new proposals and initiatives to incorporate into the ARF’s common work plan in the inter-sessional year of 2019-2020.
Established in 1994, the ARF serves the goal of promoting dialogue and cooperation among countries concerning political-security issues, thereby contributing to peace, stability and trust building in the region. The forum currently has 27 member countries and organisations. Vietnam, Australia and the EU are playing a co-chairing role of the ARF Inter-sessional Group on maritime security for the 2018-2020 tenure.
