Vietnam assumes the Chairmanship of the 35th UNCLOS Conference of States Parties: The country's new role and position

Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu, Head of the Vietnamese delegation, was unanimously elected by the member states of the Convention to the position of Chairman of SPLOS 35.

Overview of SPLOS 35 Conference.

On June 23, at the United Nations headquarters in New York, the United States opened the 35th Conference of States Parties to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) (SPLOS 35) with the participation of 170 member states, observer states, heads of agencies established under the Convention and relevant international organizations.

At the opening session, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu, Head of the Vietnamese delegation, was unanimously elected by the member states of the Convention to the position of Chairman of SPLOS 35.

Speaking after being elected and starting to chair the Conference, Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Vu emphasized the positive progress in implementing UNCLOS and global ocean governance in recent times, especially the success of the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3) in Nice, France in June 2025 and efforts to promote the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Seas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) to come into effect soon.

In the context of the seas and oceans facing many serious challenges such as marine environmental pollution, impacts of climate change, loss of biodiversity, and depletion of marine resources, the Conference Chairman called on countries to promote multilateralism, participate in discussions in a cooperative and constructive spirit, actively propose measures to promote the implementation of UNCLOS, enhance the effectiveness of the agencies established under the Convention, thereby strengthening the role and vitality of the Convention - the "Charter of the Oceans" in maintaining order at sea, conserving and sustainably using marine resources, contributing to maintaining and strengthening peace, stability and sustainable development globally.

Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu (middle) chaired the conference in his capacity as Chairman of SPLOS 35.

Speaking on behalf of the Secretary-General at the Conference, Ms. Elinor Hammarskjöld, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs of the United Nations, affirmed that 43 years after its adoption, UNCLOS continues to be the legal framework governing all activities at sea and in the oceans. The universal value and integrity of the Convention continue to be strongly affirmed at relevant forums and mechanisms within the United Nations framework in recent times, including UNOC 3, the Open Consultation Process of the United Nations General Assembly on Seas and Oceans (ICP) and the Preparatory Committee for the entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement.

After the opening session and the completion of the election of the Presidium and a number of other executive positions, the Conference listened to reports from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), the Seabed Authority (ISA), the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (ISA) and discussed and agreed on the operational orientation of the above institutions during the period under the direction of the President.

Vietnam's first-ever Chairmanship of the most important annual conference on the implementation of UNCLOS reflects the countries' high trust and confidence in Vietnam's management and leadership capacity in multilateral processes and mechanisms within the framework of the United Nations, and also shows the international community's recognition and appreciation of our country's role and contributions to the common efforts to promote the implementation of the Convention and global ocean governance.

This is also an achievement in implementing the policy of proactively and actively taking on important leadership, management and guidance responsibilities at international organizations and forums in the spirit of Resolution No. 59-NQ/TW of the Politburo on international integration in the new situation, Conclusion No. 125-KL/TW of the Secretariat on continuing to promote and enhance multilateral diplomacy until 2030, while making practical contributions to the implementation of Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW of the 12th Party Central Committee on the Strategy for sustainable development of Vietnam's marine economy until 2030, with a vision to 2045.

Previously, in order to prepare for taking on the role of managing SPLOS 35, Permanent Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Vu chaired many in-person and online preparatory meetings with the UN Deputy Secretary-General, the UN Legal Office, leaders of agencies established under UNCLOS and consulted with a number of regional groups and Ambassadors and Heads of Delegations of relevant countries in New York.

During the meetings and discussions, Deputy Minister Nguyen Minh Vu affirmed Vietnam's commitment and desire to closely coordinate with countries and agencies to organize and operate SPLOS 35 in an objective and effective manner, making substantial contributions to the comprehensive implementation of UNCLOS regulations, continuing to promote the governance of seas and oceans and the sustainable use of marine resources globally.

Overview of the reception of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations.

At noon of the same day, on the occasion of SPLOS 35 and to campaign for Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh to run for the position of ITLOS judge for the 2026-2035 term, Ambassador Do Hung Viet, Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the United Nations, held a solemn reception with the participation of Ambassadors, Heads of Delegations of countries in New York and Heads of delegations attending the Conference.

SPLOS is the annual conference of the member states of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea. At the conference, UNCLOS member states as well as observer states present their positions, views and share information on issues related to the implementation of UNCLOS, assess the performance of the agencies established under the Convention in the past year, contributing to the orientation for new developments in the field of maritime law and ocean management and exploitation in the coming time.

Over the years, Vietnam has always actively attended, spoken and made constructive contributions at the Conference with a consistent policy of respecting and fully implementing UNCLOS.

The President of the Conference is responsible for presiding over and conducting discussions at plenary sessions; deciding on procedural issues and organizing meetings of the Conference in consultation with the Executive Board; and approving decisions on administration, budget and operations of the bodies established under UNCLOS.

The Chairman of the Conference plays a central role in ensuring that the Conference is effective, orderly, and in accordance with rules and procedures. In complex issues with different opinions, the Chairman plays an important role in guiding discussions, encouraging consultation and negotiation between countries to find common ground. The Chairman's term lasts for 1 year from the opening day of the Conference until the time of handing over this position at the next Conference.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/viet-nam-dam-nhiem-vi-tri-chu-tich-hoi-nghi-cac-quoc-gia-thanh-vien-unclos-lan-thu-35-vai-tro-va-vi-the-moi-cua-dat-nuoc-318781.html