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.
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 his election, 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 (June 2025) and efforts to promote the early entry into force of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Seas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ).
The seas and oceans are facing many serious challenges such as marine pollution, impacts of climate change, loss of biodiversity, and resource depletion. The Chairman of the conference called on countries to uphold multilateralism, participate in discussions in a cooperative and constructive spirit, and actively propose measures to promote the implementation of UNCLOS and enhance the effectiveness of the agencies established under the Convention.
Thereby strengthening the role and vitality of the Convention - the "Charter of the Ocean" in maintaining order at sea, conserving and sustainably using marine resources, contributing to maintaining and strengthening peace, stability and sustainable development globally.
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 regulating all activities at sea and in the ocean.
The universal value and integrity of the Convention have continued to be strongly affirmed at relevant forums and mechanisms within the United Nations framework in recent times, including UNOC 3, the United Nations General Assembly's Open Consultation Process on Seas and Oceans (ICP) and the Preparatory Committee for the entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement...
Vietnam's first-ever Chairmanship of the most important annual conference on the implementation of UNCLOS reflects the high trust and confidence of countries in Vietnam's management and leadership capacity in multilateral processes and mechanisms within the framework of the United Nations.
At the same time, it also shows the international community's recognition and appreciation of our country's role and contributions to 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 of the Politburo on international integration in the new situation, Conclusion No. 125 of the Secretariat on continuing to promote and elevate multilateral diplomacy to 2030...
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 the Conference's sessions in consultation with the Executive Board; and approving decisions on administration, budget and operations of the bodies established under UNCLOS.
The conference chairman plays a central role in ensuring that the conference is effective, orderly, and follows 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://vietnamnet.vn/lan-dau-viet-nam-trung-cu-chu-tich-hoi-nghi-cac-quoc-gia-thanh-vien-unclos-2414685.html
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