Vietnam Secures First-ever Seat on International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea

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Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, Vice President of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and Vietnam’s candidate, was elected as a Judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for the 2026–2035 term, receiving the highest number of votes among candidates from the Asia-Pacific region. (Photo: VNA)

This marks the first time that Vietnam has nominated a candidate and secured representation at ITLOS since the Tribunal began operations in 1996.

The election of Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh with a high number of votes and in the very first round of voting demonstrates the international community’s confidence in Vietnam’s position and role. It is evidence of a new stage in the country’s multilateral diplomacy and integration into the international legal system.

The result also reflects Vietnam’s transition from active participation to increasingly substantive contributions to the formulation, development, and implementation of the international community’s common norms and rules. It affirms Vietnam’s responsibility and growing capacity to contribute effectively to the rules-based global governance system.

This achievement also confirms the positive assessment by UNCLOS member states of Vietnam’s increasingly substantive contributions to United Nations bodies and international law.

For Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, winning this highly competitive election reflects the international community’s recognition of the qualities, professional expertise, and reputation of a Vietnamese international legal expert.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh will carry out her duties as an ITLOS judge in accordance with the principles of independence and impartiality set forth in the Tribunal’s Statute, thereby promoting the effective implementation of the Convention and contributing to the strengthening of the legal order at sea.

As a country that has consistently upheld respect for international law and supported the United Nations Charter and the 1982 UNCLOS, Vietnam will continue to work with other member states to promote the full and effective implementation of the Convention, resolve disputes through peaceful means, strengthen maritime cooperation, and contribute to maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and sustainable development in seas and oceans.

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) was established pursuant to the provisions of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and officially commenced operations in 1996. It is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.

The Tribunal is responsible for settling, through judicial means, disputes concerning the interpretation and application of the Convention. Over the past nearly three decades, it has made significant contributions to strengthening the legal order at sea, promoting the rule of law, and fostering international cooperation for peace, stability, and sustainable development.

The Tribunal consists of 21 independent judges elected by UNCLOS member states, representing different legal systems and geographical regions around the world.

At the 36th Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, member states elected seven new judges for the 2026-2035 term. The newly elected judges from Vietnam, Ghana, Tunisia, Russia, the Netherlands, India, and Brazil will begin their terms in October 2026.

UNCLOS entered into force in 1994 and currently has 172 parties (171 states and the European Union). Vietnam ratified the Convention in 1994.

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