On March 5, 2020, the Government issued Resolution No. 26/NQ-CP on the Master plan and 5-year plan of the Government to implement Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW, dated October 22, 2018 of the Party Central Committee (12^th tenure) on the Strategy for sustainable development of Vietnam's marine economy to 2030, with a vision to 2045, including the following contents and solutions:

1. On sea and ocean governance and coastal zone management. Periodically review, evaluate, amend and supplement policies and laws on sea and islands with priorities being given to completing the legal corridor, renewing and developing green growth model and environmental protection, promoting marine ecological civilisation, improving productivity, quality, international competitiveness and efficiency of public investments of marine and coastal economic sectors. Continue to consolidate and renovate the organisation and operation of the system of state agencies for sea and island management from central to local levels; build a contingent of qualified, capable, professional, modern marine management staff, etc.

2. On the development of marine and coastal economy. Invest in developing infrastructure and material and technical foundations of the tourism industry for key localities and focal areas of coastal and island tourism development. Develop the seaport system according to the overall and unified planning on a national scale in order to meet the requirements of industrialisation and modernisation. Continue to search and explore minerals, oil and gas, non-conventional hydrocarbon forms in deep-water sedimentary basins in order to increase mineral and petroleum reserves. Focus on developing aqua-fishing on the sea and along the coast in the direction of modern and high-tech commodity production, etc.

3. On the improvement of people's living standards, building a marine culture and a marine friendly society. Supplement and fully develop socio-economic infrastructure, especially electricity, fresh water, communications, health care and education on the islands. Ensure that people living and working on seas and islands have access to and use quality medical services in order to improve people's health. Build, perfect and develop cultural institutions for coastal and marine communities, including facilities, organisational apparatus, personnel, regulations and operating budget, etc.

4. On science, technology, marine human resources development. Innovate, create and apply advanced scientific and technological achievements and promote marine scientific and technological researches in association with marine basic investigation. Form centres for scientific research, apply advanced and excellent technologies: marine biotechnology, space technology in marine monitoring, deep sea exploitation on the basis of inheritance and development of available resources, etc.

5. On marine environment, responding to natural disasters, climate change and sea level rise. Continue to review, develop and effectively implement projects and tasks under the Key Program for basic investigation of resources and environment of sea and islands. Complete the integration and digitisation of databases on seas and islands of ministries, branches and localities with the national marine database. Invest in upgrading technology infrastructure to ensure the import, update, exploitation and sharing of data for marine information systems and databases of ministries, branches, localities, etc.

6. On strengthening national defence, security, foreign affairs and international cooperation. Promote synergy, maintain independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity; protect the country's airspace, seas and islands. Firmly consolidate the people's security posture in association with the all-people’s national defence posture on seas and islands. Strengthen capacity to effectively respond and deal with traditional and non-traditional security threats in the maritime regions, etc.

PHAM BINH