The Vietnam Maritime Forum 2026, themed “Building Vietnam into a strong maritime nation through international cooperation and integration”, opened in Hanoi on October 2.
During the event hosted by the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delegates debated how to follow the Politburo’s Resolution 20-NQ/TW, which aims to turn the country’s marine potential into tangible, sustainable development resources.
National Assembly Vice President Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Doan Anh, in his opening speech, said the resolution marks a strategic shift in how Vietnam views the sea, casting it as a pillar of national strength. Building a strong maritime nation is a long-term strategy tied to the country’s drive to rise and prosper, he said.
The forum comes as Vietnam begins rolling out the resolution, creating a platform to share its vision, draw on foreign experience and collect cooperation proposals from partners, he said. He urged participants to spell out what international cooperation can specifically contribute, and what role Vietnam can play in shaping a maritime space built on peace, cooperation, connectivity and sustainable development.
At a high-level session themed “From maritime strategy to the 2026–2030 action plan”, leaders of ministries and agencies outlined priorities to realize the resolution, pool resources and drive international cooperation.
Speakers said international cooperation should yield concrete gains in capital, technology, knowledge, workforce, infrastructure, governance, markets and environmental protection, while elevating Vietnam’s ability to contribute to global maritime and ocean governance. They named science, technology, innovation and digital transformation as the key drivers of a breakthrough toward generating prosperity from the sea sustainably. They also urged study of inter-provincial coastal tourism clusters and multifunctional marine tourism hubs as potential growth poles.
They said development should center on people, with cooperation and integration pursued proactively and marine economic growth balanced against national defense and security. Foreign participants also praised Vietnam’s contributions to global marine and ocean governance.
UN Resident Coordinator Pauline Tamesis pledged support for Vietnam’s action plan and its capacity to comply with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement). The UN will also help pool financing and technology and work to ensure benefits reach coastal communities, fishers, women and young people.
Thematic sessions covered resource mobilization, international connectivity, sustainable marine development, science-technology and marine governance, and cooperation among localities. Proposals from the forum are expected to support strides made in the implementation of the resolution.
