New York (VNA) - The Group of Asia-Pacific states at the United Nations (UN) last weekend agreed to nominate Vietnam for the position of Chair of the 35th meeting of the States Parties to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (SPLOS).
The position will be officially elected just before the meeting slated for June 23-27 at the UN Headquarters in New York.
The nomination reflects the high trust and recognition from the international community for Vietnam’s leading efforts in implementing and strengthening the universal values of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as well as its positive contributions to the work of the UN since it joined the convention in 1994.
Holding the position will be an opportunity for the country to continue asserting its role as a responsible member state of UNCLOS and to make a meaningful contribution to global efforts in ocean governance.
Over the past years, Vietnam has considered UNCLOS as the Constitution of the Oceans and a crucial basis for implementing maritime cooperation activities. It has achieved significant accomplishments in solving maritime delimitation issues with neighbouring countries such as Thailand, China and Indonesia, enriching the practical application of the convention’s provisions.
Vietnam has also actively participated in UNCLOS-related activities, such as holding its membership at the Council and the Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabed Authority. It was an active participant in negotiations and one of the first countries to sign the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, the most recent international document related to the implementation of the Convention.
It has nominated experienced and highly skilled experts to various UNCLOS-established bodies, including a candidate for the position of judge at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for the 2026-2035 term. At the UN, Vietnam co-founded the UNCLOS Group of Friends with over 100 member countries from all regions to promote the universality of the Convention and enhance its effective implementation.
UNCLOS that regulates all maritime activities was adopted on December 10, 1982, and officially came into force on November 16, 1994. Vietnam was one of the first 107 countries to sign and later ratify the Convention on June 23, 1994. At present, it has 170 member states.
SPLOS is an annual conference convened by the UN Secretary-General under the provisions of UNCLOS. It is an essential forum where all member states review the implementation of the Convention, discuss emerging issues in its application, and make decisions on necessary measures to enhance its enforcement and global ocean governance./.
