The Rapporteur is a member of ILC’s Bureau, who compiles the final report to submit to the UN General Assembly. Ambassador Nguyen Hong Thao was also elected by the Asia-Pacific group (including 8 members) to be the head of the group.

In 2016, Ambassador Nguyen Hong Thao became the first Vietnamese to be elected a member of the ILC.

In 2018, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the ILC, Ambassador Thao was elected as the 2nd Vice President of the ILC.

In November 2021, he was re-elected as a member of the ILC for the term 2023-2027, with 145 voting yes, ranking 4th among the 11 candidates of the Asia-Pacific region.

Since 2020, he has been an Arbitrator for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS).

During the 2017-2022 term, Ambassador Thao actively promoted his role in promoting ILC's research results, speaking and participating in ILC’s discussions on various topics.

Dr. Thao has made contributions to topics that are traditionally of interest to researchers in general, such as national inheritance, and international dispute settlement.

In addition, the ambassador showed the interest of developing countries in new and non-traditional topics like protecting the atmosphere or protecting the environment in armed conflicts...

Thao graduated with a Doctor of Law degree from Paris I School, Sorbonne University, France. He is the former Vice Chairman of the National Border Committee, Head of the Vietnamese delegation to negotiate border agreements with neighboring countries of Vietnam.

He was also a legal advisor for important law projects such as the Law of the Sea, Environment Law; a founding member of the Vietnam Society of International Law (VSIL), and the Asian International Law Society (AsianSIL). 

The ILC was established by resolution 174 dated November 21, 1947 of the United Nations General Assembly, with the task of promoting the codification process and the progressive development of international law through research, discussion and making recommendations. 

The ILC is involved with the issuance of many important international treaties, notably the 1969 Vienna Convention on International Treaties.

ILC members are often famous professors, diplomats, and jurists who have experience in researching, teaching and practicing international law.

Tran Thuong