Vietnam debuts as UN international trade law commission member

With 157 out of 193 votes at an election held during the 73rd session of the U.N. General Assembly that opened Monday in New York, Vietnam was elected to be a UNCITRAL member for the 2019-2025 tenure.

This is the first time UNCITRAL’s membership has been chosen by voting because there were more contestants than seats allocated to the Asia-Pacific and Western European regions.

Officials said success in the election shows Vietnam’s rising prestige and recognition of its efforts and contributions to the international community’s common tasks, including international trade.

UNCITRA, established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1966, is the core legal body of the U.N., aiming to promote progressive harmonization and unification of international trade law.

Vietnam’s membership of UNCITRA marks a step forward in the country’s international integration process, especially in multilateral legal integration, after the election of Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Hong Thao as second vice chairman of the International Law Commission in 2016.