The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Conference on an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction concluded in New York on March 5, with participants reaching an agreement on the instrument.

The 9th Ocean Dialogue with the theme "Marine Scientific Research: Confidence Building and Environment Sustainability" was held in Nha Trang on October 5. The dialogue aims to clarify the value of marine scientific research in the South China Sea.