In fulfilling its assigned functions and duties, the Ninh Binh Border Guard has implemented comprehensive measures to firmly manage and protect the sovereignty, security, and order of the maritime border area. This effort fosters a stable and favourable environment, enabling the province to achieve rapid and sustainable development.

Ninh Binh holds a strategic position within the northern region’s maritime economy. Following the reorganisation of administrative units and the streamlining of its organisational structure, the province has gained additional space, resources, and conditions to harness its maritime economic potential, particularly in sectors such as logistics, seaports, coastal industry, tourism, and aquaculture.

While these developments bring new opportunities, the expansion of coastal economic and commercial activities also places increasingly high demands on the Provincial Border Guard. To ensure the firm protection of sovereignty, security, and order along the maritime border, thereby creating a conducive environment for the province’s socio-economic and cultural development, the Party Committee and Command of the Provincial Border Guard have worked closely with other forces to closely monitor the situation, provide timely counsel to local Party committees and authorities for effectively responding to incidents in an active manner, while proactively combating crime and illegal activities at sea and within the maritime border zone.

Leader of Ninh Binh province had a check of coastal border economic projects.

Furthermore, the Provincial Border Guard actively participates in disaster prevention and response as guiding vessels to seek shelter in the event of storms and conducting search and rescue operations; conducts outreach to encourage the locals to strictly adhere to the guidelines and policies of the Party, as well as the laws and regulations of the State; raises awareness of the need to protect national sovereignty and border security, and ensure compliance with regulations while operating at sea. They have also actively participated in programmes, models, and initiatives designed to support the local population in economic development, the construction of “new-style” rural areas, environmental protection, the cultivation of a vibrant cultural life, and the strengthening of grassroots political systems, thereby contributing to improving the lives of the People, building robust coastal border communities, consolidating the “People’s hearts and minds” as a strategic foundation, and establishing a solid basis for the management and protection of national sovereignty and border security, as well as the socio-economic development of the locality.

In the time to come, the requirements for managing and protecting the Province’s borders will become increasingly demanding. The rapid expansion of economic activities, coastal infrastructure development, the growth of eco-tourism and resort sectors, and the increase in vessel traffic both create new opportunities for development and necessitate the enhanced management and oversight to curb potential risks in security, public order, environmental pollution, and maritime legal violations. In addition, non-traditional security challenges, environmental incidents, and issues arising from the development of the maritime economy directly impact the situation of the local area and the border guard task.

Given this reality, the Provincial Border Guard Command has decided to focus on the following measures to firmly manage and safeguard border sovereignty and security while simultaneously fostering socio-economic and cultural development:

First, enhance the effectiveness of maritime border management and protection to ensure a secure and safe environment for socio-economic and cultural development. The Provincial Border Guard Command has directed its border guard stations and posts to enhance reconnaissance operations to maintain a firm grasp of the situation at sea, at estuary entrances, in fishing ports, along shipping lanes, and throughout coastal areas. This will enable them to timely detect, assess, and forecast complex issues, thereby giving effective advisory support to the provincial authorities and higher echelons for handling situations in an active manner.

Conducting patrol in coastal border area

Concurrently, they are to strengthen efforts to combat crime and illegal activities at sea, particularly drug-related offenses, smuggling, commercial fraud, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Proactively develop and implement specialised operations and action plans to combat crime, tailored to the specific conditions of each coastal border area. Continue to innovate management, patrolling, and control methods at seaports, sea inlets, and wharves; enhance the application of modern technology for management and oversight, such as Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) and software for tracking the movement of vessels, while simultaneously accelerating the administrative reform and implementing electronic border control procedures in accordance with regulations. Through these efforts, the effectiveness and efficiency of state management of the border are further strengthened, customs clearance time is shortened, and security and order at sea and in coastal areas are maintained. This creates a favourable environment for and keeps residents and businesses persistent in their investments, production and business operations, thereby making a practical contribution to the province’s economic, cultural, and social development.

Second, proactively participate in and coordinate the development of a sustainable maritime economy, while simultaneously strengthening national defence and security. Adhering to the guiding principle that “socio-economic development and environmental protection are central, Party building is pivotal, cultural and human development is foundational; strengthening national defence and security while promoting external relations and international integration are key and regular”, the Provincial Border Guard identifies its participation in the socio-economic and cultural development of coastal border areas as a critical political task and a measure for consolidating the “People’s hearts and minds posture”, bolstering defence and security capabilities, and creating the necessary conditions to effectively fulfill assigned duties. Accordingly, the Provincial Border Guard is to continue to collaborate with relevant authorities to advise local Party committees and administrations on the implementation of maritime economic development projects that are integrated with the strengthening of national defence and security, particularly in coastal regions.

It proactively studies and participates in the appraisal of coastal socio-economic and cultural development plans and projects in a serious manner, such as the Ninh Co Economic Zone, the network of industrial parks, seaports, and coastal urbans of the province. This is to ensure that economic growth does not create defence and security “gap”, while also preventing border management from constraining economic development. Furthermore, it maintains close coordination with departments, agencies, and sectors of the province to implement comprehensive measures against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing; promotes propaganda for fishermen, encourages them to comply with the law and enhances their sense of responsibility for protecting national sovereignty, marine resources, and the marine environment. By intensifying inspections and controls, it ensures the timely detection and strict sanctions against violations, such as the discharge of pollutants into the marine environment or illegal fishing practices, thereby contributing to the regeneration of aquatic resources and the preservation of the marine ecosystem, preserving coastal marine ecosystems, building a safe and healthy marine environment, and creating favourable conditions for the sustainable development of the marine economy.

Conducting patrol at sea

Third, Take care of the well-being of the locals and firmly consolidate the “People’s hearts and mind posture”. Since the strength to defend the borders originates primarily from the People, taking care of their well-being serves both as a political duty and a measure for building a robust all-people border defence posture. Grasping the principle of “being close to the People, understanding the People, assisting the People, and relying upon the People”, the Provincial Border Guard continues to assign its officers and party members from border guard stations to support needy households in coastal areas as well as participate in the party committees of border communes and engage in the activities of coastal village’s party cells. They are also required to coordinate closely with local party committees and authorities in implementing initiatives for livelihood support, poverty reduction, rural development, healthcare, education, environmental protection, and the cultivation of cultural life within residential communities, such as: “Helping children’s schooling – Adoptees of the Border Stations”, “Border Guards joining hands to build new rural areas”.

Moreover, the Provincial Border Guard has also collaborated with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to guide and support the locals in transitioning toward appropriate aquaculture and fishing practices for the protection of aquatic resources and sustainable livelihoods. Continue to strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of models, such as: Self-managed security teams, Solidarity-based production groups at sea, and Safe wharfs so that each fishing vessel and each fishermen acts as a “living landmark” affirming national sovereignty at sea. To enhance the effectiveness of legal dissemination and outreach among fishermen, the Provincial Border Guard is to innovate its content, methods, and approaches to make them “concise, comprehensible, and memorable”, tailored to specific target groups and the nature of their maritime activities. This effort aims to foster consensus, strengthen public trust in the Party, the State, and the Military, and harness the collective strength of the People in managing and protecting national sovereignty, as well as maintaining security and order in the maritime border regions.

Fourth, build a robust force and leverage the synergy in the management and protection of maritime borders. To excel its mission within the new context, the Provincial Border Guard will intensify political and ideological education, fostering steadfast political resolve for its officers and soldiers to make them absolutely loyal to the Fatherland, the Party, the State, and the People. Besides, their professional expertise, legal knowledge, foreign language capability, and area controlling skill are to be further enhanced. Training will be intensified, focusing on night operations, maneuvers under challenging weather conditions, and the mastery of modern equipment and technical assets while instilling a professional work ethic and a strong sense of discipline. This is to ensure that they are ready to undertake and successfully complete tasks in any scenario, ranging from seaport control and maritime patrols to disaster response, and search and rescue operations.

In addition, there is a need to proactively provide counsel on strengthening and improving the operational efficiency of coordination mechanisms between the Provincial Border Guard and local departments, agencies, organisations, and other relevant forces. Coordination protocols should be regularly reviewed, updated, and refined to make them concrete and practical. Periodic briefings and information exchanges should be maintained to facilitate the decisive resolution of emerging issues right at the grassroots level. Furthermore, it is necessary to develop contingency plans and exercise scenarios in collaboration with other forces for disaster response, search and rescue, and civil defence at sea so as to ensure that personnel and equipment are always prepared for rescue operations, aimed at minimising loss of life and property for the public. Integrating border management and protection with socio-economic and cultural development is a crucial factor in building a safe, stable, and prosperous coastal border region in Ninh Binh. The Ninh Binh Provincial Border Guard commit to remain united, overcome challenges, and enhance its mission performance to affirm its core and specialised role in managing and safeguarding national sovereignty, while maintaining political security and coastal border order, while actively engaging in socio-economic and cultural development, supporting the goal of double-digit economic growth and fostering the rapid, sustainable development of Ninh Binh, and firmly defending the sacred sovereignty over seas and islands of the Fatherland in this new era.

Senior Colonel PHAM VAN HOA, Deputy Commander of the Provincial Military Command and Commander of the Provincial Border Guard Command