Vietnam for the first time introduced a candidate to the International Law Commission (ILC), a prestigious global legal forum in charge of compiling international treaties, including the 1958 Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The country launched a campaign in February 2016 for the election of Associate Professor and Ambassador Nguyen Hong Thao to the post.

Earlier, the Vietnamese delegation to the UN, the World Trade Organisation and other international organisations in Geneva sent a diplomatic note to introduce Thao to delegations from other countries.

Ambassador Nguyen Hong Thao is an expert in international law. He used to be deputy head of the National Border Committee, head of the negotiation teams on border agreements with neighbouring countries, and a legal advisor to the drafting process of the 2012 maritime law.

He boasts 40 years of experience in the diplomatic field, and was Vietnam Ambassador to Malaysia in the 2011-2014 tenure. He is now Ambassador to Kuwait.

The introduction of Ambassador Thao to the ILC demonstrates Vietnam’s wish to make contribution to the development of international law and its codification, as well as promote the country’s integration policy.

Established in 1947, the ILC is a subsidiary organ of the UN General Assembly, with 34 current members.

Members to the commission are elected every five years, with the upcoming election scheduled to take place at the UN General Assembly in late 2016.

VNA