Vietnam has contributed to the diversity of the International Law Commission (ILC) via information and arguments towards increasing benefit balance, objectivity, fairness and justice, said an official. 

Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Hong Thao, who was elected as Second Vice Chairman of the International Law Commission during its 70th session.

Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Hong Thao, who was elected as Second Vice Chairman of the ILC during its 70th session, made the statement on the sidelines of the ongoing event. The ILC scheduled its 70th session at United Nations Headquarters in New York, the US, from April 30 to June 1, and at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland, from July 2 to August 10.

Ambassador Thao highlighted the importance of the session as it marked the 70th founding anniversary of the ILC. 

He added that Vietnam was among nations honoured for their contributions to the ceremony.

The diplomat said reports at the session in Geneva had impacts on the rights and interests of Vietnam, noting that many of them employed Vietnamese examples.

According to Thao, the agenda of the session in Geneva covers a range of topics like the identification of customary international law; provisional application of treaties; protection of the atmosphere; protection of the environment in relation to armed conflicts; and immunity of State officials from foreign criminal jurisdiction.

Contributing to the report on the protection of the environment in relation to armed conflicts, Vietnam proposed expanding the “Occupying State” concept to “Occupying Power”, which includes the occupation of international organisations when carrying out peacekeeping and security missions. The change was approved by the rapporteur for the entire report.

Concerning reporters’ questions on Vietnam’s increasing participation in multilateral organisations, Thao, an ILC member since November 2016, stressed that the country is yet to have a satisfied number of representatives among the groups of international officials and experts. 

The presence of these representatives reflects Vietnam’s policy of being a responsible member of the international community, which, Thao believed, was achieved by following long-term comprehensive goals and action plans. 

He recommended Vietnam sharpen personnel capacity, seize opportunities and mobilise efforts for elections to international posts. The selected candidate has to demonstrate their capacity to increase Vietnam’s prestige and create favourable conditions for the country in future election campaigns, Thao added.

The ILC, a UN subsidiary organ established in 1947, is in charge of compiling international treaties, drafting international conventions and studying major issues related to international law. It has 34 members, elected once every five years.-VNA