Vietnam obtains a seat on the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea for the first time
On June 18, as part of the 36e meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Associate Professor – Doctor Nguyén Thi Lan Anh, Deputy Director of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and candidate from Vietnam, was elected judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (TILOS/ITLOS) for the 2026-2035 term, obtaining the highest number of votes within the Asia-Pacific group.
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| Associate Professor – Doctor Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Diplomatic Academy and candidate from Vietnam, was elected judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS/ITLOS) for the 2026-2035 term. |
| Photo : VNA/CVN |
According to the correspondent of the Vietnamese Information Agency (VNA) in New York, this is the first successful Vietnamese candidacy since the Tribunal took office in 1996. The election of Nguyén Thi Lan Anh, in the first round of voting and with broad support, testifies of the confidence of the international community in the role and position of Vietnam on the international scene. It also illustrates a new stage in the development of the country’s multilateral diplomacy and its integration into international legal mechanisms.
This result reflects Vietnam’s evolution from active participation to increasingly substantial contribution to the formulation, development and implementation of common norms and rules of the international community, and confirms the country’s increased responsibility and capacity to contribute effectively to a system of global governance based on respect for law. This election also reflects the positive appreciation of the States parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) for Vietnam’s increasingly concrete contributions to United Nations bodies and the development of international law.
For Nguyén Thi Lan Anh, this victory in a particularly competitive election constitutes recognition of his personal qualities, his legal expertise and the credibility enjoyed by Vietnamese specialists in international law. As an ITLOS judge, she will exercise her functions in strict compliance with the principles of independence and impartiality provided for in the Statute of the Tribunal, thus contributing to the effective application of the Convention and the strengthening of the international maritime legal order.
Constantly committed to respecting international law and supporting the Charter of the United Nations and the UNCLOS of 1982, Vietnam will continue its cooperation with other States Parties in order to promote the full and effective application of the Convention, to promote the peaceful settlement of disputes, to strengthen maritime cooperation and to contribute to the maintenance of peace, stability, security, safety and sustainable development of the seas and oceans.
VNA/CVN
