First Vietnamese judge at International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea sworn in

Vietnamese Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan Anh and newly elected judges from Ghana, Brazil, Tunisia and India were sworn in at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in Hamburg, Germany, on Thursday.

Anh is the first Vietnamese national to serve as an ITLOS judge since the tribunal was established 30 years ago.

She was elected to the ITLOS for the 2026–2035 term at the 36th Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in New York on June 18, 2026.

Anh secured the highest number of votes among candidates from the Asia-Pacific region in the first round.

Her election also made her the first female judge from Southeast Asia to serve on the maritime law tribunal established under UNCLOS.

(From L) Five judges, Slim Laghmani (Tunisia), Nguyen Thi Lan Anh (Vietnam), Sylvia Ama Adusu (Ghana), Bimal N. Patel (India) and George Rodrigo Bandeira Galindo (Brazil), are sworn in as members of the Tribunal at a public sitting on Oct. 1, 2026. Photo by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea

Since ITLOS began operating in 1996, 62 judges have been elected, including nine women. Anh's nine-year term officially began on Oct. 1, 2026.

The election of Vietnam's first representative to ITLOS reflects international recognition of the expertise of Vietnamese legal professionals and the country's contributions to upholding international law.

As an independent judge, Anh will have an opportunity to contribute directly to the tribunal's work, including the interpretation and application of the 1982 UNCLOS, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the strengthening of the international legal order at sea.

Under the ITLOS Statute, judges must make a public declaration to exercise their powers impartially, conscientiously and with integrity before taking office. The tribunal comprises 21 independent judges elected on the basis of their reputation for fairness and integrity and their expertise in maritime law, while also ensuring representation of the world's principal legal systems and equitable geographical distribution.