Viet Nam joins the 100% Alliance for sustainable ocean management

The International Conference of the 100% Alliance for the Indo-Pacific region was recently held in Osaka, Kansai, Japan. The event was co-chaired by Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), the Canada Pavilion at the World Expo 2025, and the World Resources Institute (WRI). The event attracted the participation of numerous coastal nations, international organizations, and leading ocean experts.

According to Mr. Nguyen Binh Minh, Deputy Director of the National Center for Marine and Island Information and Data under the Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands (VASI), Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, Viet Nam's delegation attended the event and took part in multi-sectoral negotiations on the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). Viet Nam's participation in the conference demonstrates the country's concern and proactive engagement in accessing new international initiatives, in line with the Party and State's orientation toward developing a sustainable marine economy.

The 100% Alliance is a groundbreaking global initiative calling on countries and partners to protect, restore, and sustainably manage all ocean spaces. The Alliance is co-chaired by France, Chile, and Australia, supported by the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel), and coordinated by the World Resources Institute (WRI). It serves as a voluntary and comprehensive platform for nations to share knowledge, learn from each other, and take action together toward a common goal of green oceans.

The Ocean Panel currently gathers 18 member countries across six continents, united under the vision of "100% Protection, 100% Sustainability." Following the launch of its comprehensive agenda titled "Transformations for a Sustainable Ocean Economy: A Vision for Protection, Production, and Prosperity," the Ocean Panel has been actively advancing the development of national Sustainable Ocean Plans (SOPs). All member countries have committed to finalizing their SOPs by 2025, demonstrating the highest-level political determination to move toward a sustainable marine economy.

In addition, the Ocean Panel promotes financial mobilization for ocean action through the development of blue bonds and ocean investment funds. The Ocean Panel also encourages nature-based solutions such as mangrove forest and seagrass bed protection and offshore wind energy development. These areas are receiving special attention from the international community.

Amid the heavy impacts of climate change, pollution, and overexploitation on the world's oceans, the 100% Alliance is expected to create a fundamental shift in national awareness and action. According to recommendations from a network of more than 350 global experts, only 100% sustainable management of ocean spaces can ensure the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14) related to conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources.

"Based on information received about the Alliance, Viet Nam's functional agencies will consider and study the participation in this initiative, in alignment with the Party and State's policy and orientations for sustainable marine economic development. This will help strengthen regional and global cooperation to address shared challenges, learn from best practices of states, share experience, and access technology and support resources from international partners," said Mr. Nguyen Binh Minh, Deputy Director of the National Center for Marine and Island Information and Data under the Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands (VASI), Ministry of Agriculture and Environment.

Currently, over 3 billion people worldwide live in coastal areas and depend on marine biodiversity for their livelihoods. However, the world is now witnessing overexploitation of global fish stocks, which can no longer create sustainable production. The oceans also absorb about 30% of human-generated CO₂, and more than 26% of ocean waters have become acidified since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Marine pollution, most of which originates from land-based sources, particularly from plastic waste, has reached alarming levels.

Therefore, Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14), themed "Life Below Water" and being one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations in 2015, aims to manage and sustainably protect marine and coastal ecosystems from pollution and overexploitation, as well as address the impacts of ocean acidification. SDG 14 also seeks to enhance the conservation and sustainable use of ocean resources through international law to mitigate several challenges facing the world's oceans.