Nguyen Thi Lan Anh has become the first Vietnamese national to sit on the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), a court that has been operating for three decades since its establishment in 1996.

She was elected for the 2026–2035 term at the 36th Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in New York on 18 June 2026, and she received the most votes among all Asia‑Pacific candidates in the first round.

Anh’s election also marks the first time a woman from Southeast Asia will serve on the tribunal, expanding regional gender representation on the body that settles maritime disputes.

On 1 October 2026, Anh and four other judges – Slim Laghmani of Tunisia, Sylvia Ama Adusu of Ghana, Bimal N. Patel of India and George Rodrigo Bandeira Galindo of Brazil – were sworn in for their nine‑year terms.

ITLOS is composed of 21 independent judges chosen for their fairness and expertise in maritime law. Since the tribunal started in 1996, 62 judges have been elected, including nine women. Its mandate is to interpret the 1982 UNCLOS, settle disputes peacefully and strengthen the legal order at sea.

The appointment signals growing international recognition of Vietnam’s legal expertise and gives Southeast Asia a stronger voice in shaping how the law of the sea is applied worldwide.