Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang (L), Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, and United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs Elinor Hammarskjöld at their meeting in New York on March 26. (Photo: VNA)
At the meeting to discuss the sides’ cooperation and shared priorities, following Hammarskjöld’s appointment, Ambassador Giang highly valued the close collaboration with and support provided for Vietnam by the UN Office of Legal Affairs, including technical assistance and capacity-building programmes for Vietnamese legal professionals across various ministries and sectors.
He talked about Vietnam’s engagement in key UN legal bodies such as the International Law Commission (ILC), the Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), and the International Seabed Authority’s Legal and Technical Commission (LTC).
The Southeast Asian nation has also been actively involved in negotiations on landmark legal frameworks, including the Agreement under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) and the UN Convention against Cybercrime.
The diplomat affirmed Vietnam’s consistent stance of upholding international law and pledged continued cooperation with the office and other member states to enhance the effectiveness of legal mechanisms, promote legal codification, and advance the development of international law within the UN framework.
Hammarskjöld expressed her hope that Vietnam would continue to play a significant role and collaborate closely with the office and other UN bodies in ongoing reform efforts, as well as in improving the effectiveness of the UN system and further upholding the UN Charter and fundamental principles of international law, contributing to strengthening the rule of law for peace, stability, and sustainable development across the globe./.
