In order to keep effectively executing the Strategy for sustainable development of Vietnam’s marine economy towards 2030, with a vision towards 2045, on March 5th, 2020, our Government issued Resolution 26/NQ-CP on promulgating a Master Plan and a Five-Year Plan for the 12th Party Central Committee’s Resolution 36-NQ/TW. To realise the Master Plan towards 2030, with a vision towards 2045, according to the Government’s Resolution, we will regularly review, evaluate, amend, and supplement laws and policies relating to seas and islands, with priority given to completing a legal framework, developing a green growth model, protecting marine environment, promoting marine ecological civilisation, increasing productivity, quality, competitiveness, and effectiveness of public investments, and encouraging the participation of economic sectors in our marine economy’s sustainable development. At the same time, due attention will be paid to consolidating the system of state agencies in charge of managing seas and islands, comprehensively reviewing the implementation of Resolution 36-NQ/TW, and formulating new guidelines in accordance with the new situation.

In addition to the Master Plan, according to the Government’s Resolution, by 2025 we will synchronously modernise the system of state agencies in charge of managing seas and islands from Central to local levels and the system of inter-sectorial coordinating offices in charge of directing the execution of the Strategy for sustainable development of Vietnam’s marine economy. We will build a contingent of cadres in charge of marine management with great competence, invest in facilities, improve state management capacity, and identify marine management boundaries between localities. We will totally assess the system of policies and laws and especially review the implementation of the Law on Natural Resources and Environment of Seas and Islands for possible amendment and supplementation. We will design law projects, decrees, and legal normative documents on managing and using coastal zones, seas, islands, and wetlands. We will keep reviewing, adjusting, and supplementing, strategies and plans relating to seas in accordance with Resolution 36-NQ/TW, while focusing on designing a Plan for national marine space and a Master Plan for sustainable exploitation of coastal zones’ natural resources.

More investments will be placed on forces in charge of enforcing sea-related laws and conducting basic surveys into seas and islands for our marine economy’s sustainable development. Besides, we will review the Strategy for sustainable exploitation of marine natural resources and protection of marine environment and the Strategy for integrated coastal zone management, with a vision towards 2030 as the basis for developing alternative Strategies towards 2030, with a vision towards 2045.

Furthermore, we will design mechanisms of coordination in granting permissions for immersion at sea and discharge of wastewater into marine environment, organise forums on our marine economy’s sustainable development, build a Fund for sustainable marine economic development, and pilot smart marine governance models.

TRAN TOAN