Vietnam runs for ITLOS judge position for first time

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu, head of the Vietnamese delegation, chaired an international seminar regarding the current situation of rising sea levels in the Pacific region, legal issues and assessment from the perspective of the Law of the Sea, and the annual meeting of the Group of Friends of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Convention's entry into force.

In recent years, responding and adapting to climate change, including sea level rises, has been one of the main concerns of countries, thereby becoming a topic of discussion at many forums within the UN framework.

The international seminar was organised by the nation in collaboration with a number of other member countries of the UNCLOS Group of Friends, including Fiji, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Oman, with the co-sponsorship of Australia, Canada, Germany, the Philippines, and Singapore.

The event featured the participation of about 100 delegates, experts on maritime law from more than 60 countries, alongside scholars and representatives of several UN agencies.

In his speech, Deputy FM Vu highlighted the historical significance of UNCLOS for the development of international law. As the "Constitution of Oceans", UNCLOS is the most comprehensive legal framework that regulates all activities of countries in the field of seas and oceans, as well as serving as a basis for countries to co-operate in management of oceans and seas in an orderly and sustainable manner.

The country will continue to promote multilateral dialogue and co-operation with the 115 members of the Group of Friends whilst simultaneously trying to implement and protect the universality of UNCLOS, the Vietnamese diplomat said.

At the seminar, Vietnamese legal experts, including Associate Professor, PhD. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh and Associate Professor. Dr. Nguyen Hong Thao, a member of the International Law Commission (ILC), shared their assessment from a Vietnamese perspective, particularly as the nation is a coastal country greatly affected by climate change, including the risk of rising sea levels.

They underlined the need to continue to comply with and fully implement the provisions of UNCLOS in the process of resolving emerging challenges in current sea and ocean governance such as marine environmental pollution, climate change, and sea level rises.

They also called for greater support to be given for the preservation of baselines, boundaries of maritime zones established from baselines, and maritime delimitation results agreed by countries through negotiations or established by decisions of international judicial agencies in order to maintain stability and legal order at sea.

The Vietnam-initiated event is one of the important contributions being made in preparation for the upcoming UN Summit on sea level rise slated for September.

The large participation of countries at the seminar once again serves to affirm the common interest of states in the value and role of UNCLOS in the management and the use of seas and oceans in general, as well as in co-operation in resolving new challenges such as climate change and rising sea levels moving forward.

The UNCLOS Group of Friends was initiated and co-chaired by Vietnam and Germany and was established back in 2021. The Group currently has 115 members from all geographical regions, including 12 core countries responsible for coordinating the group's activities.

In recent times, the Group has launched a broad array of activities such as seminars, discussions, and periodic meetings to exchange and bolster linkages in issues related to the implementation of UNCLOS and the sustainable management and use of oceans and seas in general.