Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung: Vietnam's First ITLOS Judge marks new milestone
WVR - Politburo Member and Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung emphasized that Vietnam's election to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for the first time reflects the international community's trust in and high regard for Vietnam's responsible contributions to global affairs, the development of the country's international law sector, and the competence and prestige of Vietnamese experts.
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| Politburo Member and Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung. |
On June 18, at the 36th Meeting of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea held at the United Nations Headquarters, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, Vietnam's candidate, was elected as a judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for the 2026-2035 term with one of the highest votes among the candidates.
This is the first time Vietnam has had an international legal expert elected as an ITLOS judge, one of the most important international judicial bodies on maritime law.
The World and Vietnam Report proudly presents the interview content with Politburo Member and Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung on this occasion:
Could you please elaborate on the significance of having a Vietnamese international legal expert elected as a judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for the first time?
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) is one of the most important international judicial institutions concerning international law in general and maritime law in particular. Established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982), the Tribunal has, over 30 years of operation, significantly contributed to the peaceful resolution of maritime disputes, promoting the uniform interpretation and application of UNCLOS 1982, thereby reinforcing the legal order at sea and fostering friendly relations, cooperation, and development among nations worldwide.
In the context of increasingly intertwined and deeply connected maritime and ocean issues with peace, security, and sustainable development, the role of international judicial mechanisms like ITLOS becomes even more crucial. Recently, ITLOS has made significant contributions to new issues of international concern, impacting the development of nations, such as providing advisory opinions in 2024 on international law regulations and climate change related to seas and oceans. Upholding UNCLOS 1982 as a comprehensive international legal framework governing all maritime activities, including the crucial role of ITLOS, is a common interest of the international community, including coastal states, developing countries, and nations with legitimate maritime interests. The role of ITLOS and its judges has long been respected by countries worldwide and the international legal community.
With ITLOS's role, the election of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh by UNCLOS 1982 member states as an ITLOS judge with one of the highest votes among candidates reflects the positive assessment of UNCLOS 1982 member states and the international community regarding Vietnam's desire to contribute to upholding and ensuring the supremacy of international maritime law in international life, especially during a period of significant developments in international maritime law. This result also demonstrates the correctness and effectiveness of Vietnam's foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, resilience, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development, multilateralization, diversification of foreign relations, comprehensive, deep, and effective international integration, promoting multilateral diplomacy, and upholding international law, the United Nations Charter, and UNCLOS 1982. The Party and State leaders have given much attention and direction, and many related ministries, sectors, and Vietnamese Representative Missions abroad have actively supported Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh's candidacy process. The strong support for our candidate also reflects the international recognition of the development of Vietnam's international law sector, including maritime law, and the professional competence, experience, and personal prestige of Vietnam's candidate.
Reflecting on the long journey of international integration, from a nation proactively integrating and seriously implementing international law, Vietnam is increasingly participating in the discussion, construction, and development of international legal principles and standards. We have made many contributions to important legal mechanisms and processes such as the International Law Commission, the Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabed Authority, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), and many other multilateral forums. Vietnam's first-time election of an expert as an ITLOS judge is also the result of a long process by our relevant agencies in international cooperation, training experts, and promoting multilateral diplomacy, marking a new development in international legal integration, while reflecting the increasing prestige, contribution capacity, and position of the country in the common work of the international community.
What does this milestone suggest about Vietnam's international integration journey in general and its contributions at ITLOS in the future?
The world is facing many complex global issues that no single country can solve alone, from climate change, energy security, food security to ocean and maritime governance. In this context, multilateralism, international cooperation, and the rule of law continue to be important methods for countries, especially developing nations, to protect their legitimate rights and interests and contribute to the common good.
As a coastal nation, Vietnam has interests closely tied to peace, stability, security, safety, freedom of navigation, and sustainable development. Vietnam will continue to work with other countries to promote full compliance with UNCLOS 1982 as the "Constitution of the Oceans", resolve disputes by peaceful means, enhance maritime cooperation, protect the marine environment, and sustainably use ocean resources.
For Vietnam, having an international legal expert elected as an ITLOS judge for the first time is a concrete implementation of the foreign policy set out by the 14th Congress, further developed in Resolution 06 recently issued by the Politburo, paving the way to continue implementing foreign activities in a more proactive, positive, substantive, and effective manner, with the goal of successfully fulfilling the essential and regular tasks of foreign affairs and contributing to the international community's efforts to maintain an international order based on rules, fairness, and transparency, as affirmed by General Secretary and President To Lam. International integration in the new phase will shift strongly from participation to contributing to building and implementing international standards and laws based on national interests, in accordance with international law and the common interests of the international community.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh will perform her duties as an ITLOS judge independently, objectively, in accordance with the Tribunal's regulations and related UNCLOS provisions. With her recognized qualities, courage, and professional competence, we believe that Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh will fulfill her duties well in her new position, making positive contributions to the Tribunal's common activities and the development of international law in general. This is also an encouragement for Vietnamese experts to participate more deeply in international legal institutions, the common work of the international community, and the study, training, research, and development of Vietnam's international law sector.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to closely coordinate with relevant agencies to promote Vietnam's increasingly substantive and effective participation in multilateral institutions, including international legal mechanisms. At the same time, we will continue to invest in building a team of officials and experts with courage, qualifications, professional competence, and the ability to work in an international environment. This is an important requirement to successfully implement the foreign policy of the 14th Party Congress, build a comprehensive, modern, professional foreign affairs and diplomacy, and make worthy contributions to the cause of building and defending the Fatherland in the new era.
The milestone of Vietnam having an ITLOS judge for the first time not only adds to the pride of Vietnam's foreign affairs but also serves as an important motivation to continue enhancing the quality of international integration, better promoting the country's position, prestige, and contribution capacity in the common work of the region and the world.
