Vietnam Selected to Chair SCLOS 35

This will be the first time Vietnam to be the chair of the 35th Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (SPLOS). since becoming a member of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Fanasy Nguyen Le

March 01, 2025 | 08:15

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The result was announced in February 27. The Asia-Pacific Group at the United Nations unanimously nominated Vietnam for the position. The President of the Conference will be officially elected on the eve of the Conference, which will take place from June 23-27 at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

For Vietnam, this position demonstrates the high credibility and recognition of the international community for Vietnam's pioneering efforts in implementation. reinforcing the universal value of UNCLOS, as well as the country's positive contributions to the common work of the United Nations.

The result was announced in February 27 (Photoo: baoquocte.vn).

Taking on this role is also an opportunity to affirm its role as a responsible member state of UNCLOS and make a substantive contribution to the joint efforts of the international community in marine and ocean governance on a global scale.

Over the years, Vietnam has always considered the Convention as the Constitution of the Ocean and an important basis for implementing cooperation activities at sea. The country has made many achievements in resolving maritime delimitation issues with neighboring countries, notably the signing of the Sea Delimitation Agreement with Thailand (1997), the Gulf of Tonkin Delimitation Agreement with China (2000); together with Indonesia completed the delimitation of the continental shelf (2003) and then the exclusive economic zone (2022), enriching the practice of maritime delimitation following the provisions of the Convention.

In the activities within the framework of the mechanisms established under the Convention, Vietnam served as a member of the Council and the Legal and Technical Committee of the International Authority on the Ocean Floor. It also participated in the negotiation process and being one of the first countries to sign the Agreement on Conservation and Natural Resources sustainable use of marine biodiversity in waters beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) - the most recent international instrument related to the implementation of the Convention.

Vietnam has also nominated experienced and highly qualified experts to participate in bodies established within the framework of UNCLOS, including the nomination of candidates for the position of judge of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) for the 2026-2035 term.

At the United Nations, Viet Nam co-founded the Group of Friends UNCLOS with more than 100 member states from all geographical regions to promote universality and the effective implementation of the Convention.

In the history of UN operations, UNCLOS is still considered one of the most important achievements. Considered the Constitution of the Ocean, UNCLOS is a comprehensive legal framework that regulates all activities at sea, and so far has 170 member states.

SPLOS is an annual conference convened by the Secretary-General of the United Nations in accordance with UNCLOS. This is an important forum for all Member States to review the implementation of the Convention, exchange and discuss emerging issues in the implementation of the Convention and global sea and ocean governance, thereby making decisions on necessary measures to strengthen the implementation of the Convention.