On June 18, within the framework of the 36th Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh - Deputy Director of the Diplomatic Academy, candidate from Vietnam - was elected to the position of Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for the term 2026-2035 with the highest number of votes in the Asia-Pacific region.
This is the first time Vietnam has run for election and has a representative at ITLOS since the court went into operation in 1996. The election of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh with a high number of votes and immediately after the first round of voting shows the international community's trust in Vietnam's position and role, which is proof of a new step in the development of multilateral foreign affairs and international legal integration of the country.
This result also shows the shift from active participation to increasingly substantive contributions to the process of building, developing and implementing common standards and rules of the international community; affirming Vietnam's increasingly effective responsibility and contribution capacity in the global governance system based on rules.
This success also affirms the positive assessment of UNCLOS member states of Vietnam's increasingly substantial contributions to the United Nations agencies and international law.
For Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, winning a very competitive election reflects the recognition of the international community for the qualities, professional capacity and prestige of a Vietnamese international legal expert.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh will perform her duties as an ITLOS judge in accordance with the principles of independence and objectivity stipulated in the Court's Statute, thereby promoting the effective implementation of the Convention, contributing to consolidating the legal order at sea.
As a country that consistently upholds international law, supports the United Nations Charter and UNCLOS 1982, Vietnam will continue to work with member states to promote the full and effective implementation of the Convention, resolve disputes by peaceful means, strengthen maritime cooperation and contribute to maintaining peace, stability, security, safety and sustainable development at sea and in the ocean.
