CELEBRATION OF THE 100 YEARS OF INTERNATIONAL HYDROOM ORGANIZATION 

On June 21, 1921, in Monaco, the International Hydrographic Bureau (IHB) was officially established, and June 21 every year is considered a day to celebrate and honor those who are active in the field of hydrogeology. measure. In 1970, the International Hydrographic Organization (IHB) officially changed its name to the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and maintained this name until now.

This is an intergovernmental organization with technical consulting nature, the main functions are: Coordinating countries in hydrographic activities; Unification of charts and maritime documents; Carry out and exploit hydrographic studies; Developed in the field of hydrography and mining facilities for the depiction of oceanographic elements (tides, sea level and other types of charts).

In 2021, with the central theme of "One Hundred Years of International Cooperation in Hydrography", highlights achievements as well as technical progress in engineering and technology to survey, surveying and charting in service of maritime safety and development of the marine economy; IHO also acts as a bridge between member countries in hydrographic cooperation, thereby sharing knowledge and practical experience in this field.

Although Vietnam has been a new member of IHO since 2015. However, as of 1955, the Ministry of National Defense assigned the Navy to directly take charge of marine surveying and charting, and now Currently, this work is still directly carried out by the Navy, with the following tasks: Investigating and studying the topography of sea and islands; Maritime safety assurance; coordinate with relevant agencies and units to evaluate documents serving the negotiation and delimitation of sea areas, exclusive economic zones and continental shelf of Vietnam; Monitoring and analysis of the marine environment; Marine research; Collecting and investigating geology in sea areas, islands, sensitive areas..Over 65 years of construction, operation and development, the Ministry of National Defense (Naval) provided millions of charts of the scales for defense and security activities and for central and local ministries, departments, branches to serve the needs of socio-economic development. Aware of the importance of the chart system in economic development, security assurance, defense as well as maritime management tasks, over the years, the Ministry of National Defense has invested and staffed the Navy. a fleet of marine surveying vessels serving inshore and offshore measurement; equipped with a system of new, modern and advanced machinery and equipment that meets international standards (single-beam, multi-beam depth gauge, side scanning depth measurement, seismic measurement system, magnetic field, production software) and edit paper charts, electronic charts meeting IHO standards); organize training, training domestic and foreign force of commanding officers, specialized managers, highly qualified technical staff and a team of skilled technicians, rich in experience in many fields, especially has a firm courage to operate in remote and sensitive seas, ensures always excellently completes tasks as well as fully meets national and international standards for quality of marine survey data and charts.

Currently, the Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam has produced all kinds of paper charts, electronic charts (ENC), including types from scale 1/500 to 1/2,500,000 scale, covering the scope of coverage. covering the entire sea area, islands and continental shelf of Vietnam and the entire East Sea; diversified in types to suit the purpose of use (hydroacoustic charts, radio charts, marine charts, magnetic charts...); strictly comply with the regulations of specialized surveying, establish national charts, meet international standards. At the same time, the Ministry of National Defense has coordinated with relevant ministries and branches (the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, etc.) in surveying and measuring to serve the fight for conservation. protect sovereignty over sea and islands, carry out national defense tasks and develop the national economy. Specifically: Effectively advising the Government to well solve maritime issues (delimitation of the Gulf of Tonkin between Vietnam and China; Demarcation of historic waters between Vietnam and Cambodia, demarcation of regions) exclusive economic rights with Indonesia, Thailand); Coordinating in surveying and surveying, determining the baseline used to calculate the breadth of the territorial sea in accordance with the International Law of the Sea, etc., contributing to providing historical and field evidence, and a legal basis for the fight for protection of the sea. protect sovereignty, sovereign rights, jurisdiction and national interests in overlapping and disputed areas in the East Sea; surveying, measuring and charting the ratios serving maritime navigation at sea; basic investigation of marine resources and environment; measuring, establishing all kinds of hydroacoustic maps, magnetic field maps, 3D models...; performing the task of measuring and surveying while combining with the protection of sovereignty over seas and islands and participating in search and rescue at sea (searching for Su-30 MK2, CaSA-212...) and unscheduled missions. is different.

Leading and reputable scientists, experts and scholars in the fields of military, politics, economy and diplomacy in the world and in the country all consider the 21st century to be the century of the oceans. Through cooperation between the member countries of the International Hydrographic Organization and the East Asia Hydrographic Commission, a hydrographic community of close ties, mutual understanding and trust will be created, contributing to economic development, diplomatic relations, especially contributing to maintaining peace, stability, friendship and prosperity in the region as well as in the world.

Nguyen The Long