The Vietnam Administration of Seas and Islands (VASI) has been assigned to organise an international conference on sustainable ocean economy and climate change adaptation, slated for late March in the central city of Da Nang.

Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA)

Speaking at a meeting in Hanoi on February 6, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Tran Quy Kien asked the VASI to coordinate with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Norwegian Embassy in Vietnam in launching communication campaigns to highlight the importance of the event.

The administration was also required to update information related to the complicated development of the acute respiratory disease caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and devise response plans to ensure the conference takes place as scheduled.

VASI General Director Ta Dinh Thi said his agency has been working with the Department for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and the UNDP to draft invitation letters and for the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and the Norwegian Foreign Minister to sign.

The Foreign Ministries of Vietnam and the UN delegation in Vietnam proposed inviting foreign ministers from seven small island states to the conference.

The conference is expected to bring together more than 400 domestic and foreign delegates. They are set to discuss the close relationship between an ocean  economy and climate change adaptation, as well as the contributions of major sectors to maintaining the economy and building smart coastal urban areas that can adapt to climate change.

Participants will also delve into ocean pollution and plastic waste, food security, and the resilience capacity of vulnerable communities, among other topics.