Local ambassador runs for re-election to International Law Commission
VOV.VN - Vietnam's permanent missions to the United Nations (UN) in New York and Geneva have recently sent diplomatic notes to the UN and countries informing the candidacy of Ambassador Nguyen Hong Thao to the International Law Commission (ILC) for the 2023-2027 tenure.
Ambassador Thao became the first Vietnamese elected as an ILC member in 2016. During the 2017-2022 tenure, he has actively promoted the ILC’s research results, gave speeches and joined discussions at the commission.
He also helped express developing nations’ interest in new and non-traditional topics, and actively joined in discussions on topics such as protection of the atmosphere and environmental protection in armed conflicts. Most notably, Thao voiced strong support for the ILC’s research on rising seawater level and the addition of the issue to the committee's long-term working agenda.
With an in-depth knowledge about laws on the sea and the environment, he made remarkable contributions to the first report of the research group on rising sea level in relation to international law last year.
Apart from valuable professional contributions, The Vietnamese diplomat also played a role in enhancing connections and ties among ILC members to promote exchange between legal researchers and practitioners of international law at home and abroad. He was also speakers at many universities and prestigious seminars in the region. In 2018, he was elected as the second Vice Chairman of the ILC on the occasion of its 70th founding anniversary.
With dedication to the progress of international law, he was nominated for a seat at the ILC for the 2023-2027 tenure, becoming one of the 10 candidates of the Asia-Pacific. The ILC election is set take place in New York in November 2021.
Ambassador Thao is a senior Vietnamese diplomat with 40 years of experience. He earned a doctorate degree on law from the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne and is now also teaching international law at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam.
Joining in the ILC give him a chance to ramp up popularisation and application of international law in Vietnam and the region which serves as an important tool for integration and settlement of disputes, thereby helping promote global and regional peace, security and prosperity.