Judge Lan-Anh Thi Nguyen
Judge Lan-Anh Thi Nguyen
Born: Ha Noi, Viet Nam, 23 May 1976.
Education: Bachelor of Arts in Law, Hanoi Law University, Viet Nam (1998); Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, Institute for International Relations, Viet Nam (1999); Master of Arts in International, European and Commercial Law, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom (2003); Doctor of Philosophy in International Law, University of Bristol, United Kingdom (2008).
Professional Experience: Special Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam on the Law of the Sea and Ocean Policy (February-September 2026); Vice-President, Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam (November 2024–September 2026); Director General, South China Sea Institute, Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam (June 2022–April 2025); Minister Counsellor, Embassy of Viet Nam in the United Kingdom (July 2018–September 2021); Arbitrator under Annex VII to the Convention (May 2020–present); Counsel for Viet Nam before the International Court of Justice in the Advisory Proceedings on Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change (December 2024).
Participant in United Nations processes relating to oceans and the law of the sea, including Meetings of States Parties to UNCLOS (2024–2026), the United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea (2025), the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference, Nice (2025), the 1st Session of the Preparatory Commission for the Entry into Force of the BBN J Agreement (2025), and the 62nd and 63rd Sessions of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organisation (2024, 2025).
Founder, organizer, speaker and chair of the annual International Conference Series on the South China Sea (2010–2024); Organizer, speaker and chair of the Ocean Dialogues (8th–17th editions) of the South China Sea Institute (2022–2026); Organizer, speaker and chair in more than 150 Track 1.5 and Track 2 dialogues and workshops on maritime law and policy, including Track 1.5 dialogues on international law and the law of the sea between Viet Nam and the United Kingdom, India, Brazil, Canada, the European Union, the Republic of Korea, Indonesia, the United States, Japan, the Russian Federation, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, China and Australia (2016–2018, 2021–2025); Regular contributor to meetings and workshops of the ASEAN Regional Forum, the ASEAN Maritime Forum and the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (2013–2025), the Council for Security Cooperation in Asia Pacific (2013–2016), the Centre for International Law of the National University of Singapore (2011–2025), the International Maritime Security Conference, Singapore (2023, 2025), the Shangri-La Dialogue Sherpa Meeting (2025), the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity (2025), the Valdai Discussion Club/Asian Conference (2022–2024), and other regional and international forums on the South China Sea, maritime security and the law of the sea.
Consulting expert for the drafting of Viet Nam’s Law of the Sea (2012) and the Law on Water Resources (2023); expert consultant for Viet Nam’s National Marine Spatial Planning (2024) and for the Viet Nam–Indonesia maritime delimitation negotiations (2023-2024); expert consultant on Code of Conduct (COC) negotiation plans for the Vietnamese Government’s negotiating delegation (2017–2018); National Consultant, UNDP Project on Legislative Reform in Viet Nam for Disaster Risk Management (2009–2013), leading to the Law on Natural Disaster Management of Viet Nam and two subordinate decrees; National Consultant, FAO/Government of Viet Nam Project TCP/VIE/3102(D) on Capacity Building to Enhance the Positive Impacts of WTO Accession on the Fisheries Sector and Alleviate Coastal Poverty (2008–2009).
Associate Professor of International Law; Member of International Law Faculty, Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam (2000-present) and in charge of the Faculty, (September 2021-September 2026), with more than 20 years of teaching Law of the Sea and International Law to undergraduate, post graduate students, officials from Vietnamese ministries and local authorities; Invited to lecture on the law of the sea and international law in many courses including ASEAN Law of the Sea Training Programme of Clingendael Institute (2026), National Law of the Sea Training Programme of the Philippine International Law of the Sea Academy (2026), Summer Courses on Public International Law (afternoon session) of The Hague Academy of International Law (2025), the United Kingdom’s Advanced Command and Staff Course (2024), the Naval Higher Command Course of the Naval War College of India (2024), the NATO/ACO Legal Conference (2024), and the International Military Law and Operations (MILOPS) course (2013, 2016, 2017, 2023, 2024).
Member: Member of the Asian Society of International Law, Vice-President of the Society (November 2023–November 2025).
Publications: Author of more than 50 publications on UNCLOS and international dispute settlement. Selected books, book chapters and articles:
The South China Sea: The Geo-political Epicenter of the Indo-Pacific?, Springer, 2025; Viability of UNCLOS amid Emerging Global Maritime Challenges, Springer, 2024; “Viet Nam” in: Ian Hall, Troy Lee-Brown and Rebecca Strating, Blue Security in the Indo-Pacific, Routledge, 2024; “A Vietnamese View of Maritime Security Cooperation with the Australia-US Alliance”, in: Peter Lee (ed.), Many Hands: Australia-US Contributions to Southeast Asian Maritime Security Resilience, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney, 2022; “Legal Challenges to the Belt and Road Initiative”, in: Alan and Pham (eds.), Critical Reflections on China’s Belt and Road Initiative, Palgrave Macmillan, 2020; “Viet Nam’s Regulations and Practice on Navigation of Foreign Vessels”, in: McDorman, Zou and Lee (eds.), Regulation on Navigation of Foreign Vessels: Asia-Pacific State Practice, Brill, 2019; “Construction at Sea: Impacts and Legal Regime”, in: Tran, Welfield and Le (eds.), Building a Normative Order in the South China Sea: Evolving Disputes, Expanding Options, Edward Elgar, 2019; Peaceful Settlement of Territorial Border Disputes: Theory and Practice, National Political Publishing House, 2017 (in Vietnamese); “UNCLOS and Maritime Security in the South China Sea”, in: Jenner and Tran (eds.), The South China Sea: A Crucible of Regional Cooperation or Conflict-making Sovereignty Claim?, Cambridge University Press, 2016; “Origins of the South China Sea Disputes”, in: Jing Huang and Andrew Billo (eds.), Territorial Disputes in the South China Sea: Navigating Rough Waters, Palgrave Macmillan, 2015; “Why ‘Historical Rights’ Historicalised by UNCLOS”, in: Dang Dinh Quy and Nguyen Minh Ngoc (eds.), The South China Sea: Dispute Management and Settlement, The Gioi Publisher, 2013; “International Law concerning Maritime Delimitation and the Impacts on the South China Sea Dispute”, in: Tran Truong Thuy (ed.), The South China Sea: Towards a Region of Peace, Security and Cooperation, The Gioi Publisher, 2011.
“The Use of ‘Lawfare’ in the South China Sea Disputes: Views from the Philippines, Viet Nam and Indonesia”, Blue Security, Issue 7, June 2024; “Regulation and Protection of Submarine Cables in ASEAN”, Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore, May 2024; “The Agreement on Historic Waters between Vietnam and Cambodia of 7 July 1982: Historical Significance and Future Recommendations”, International Studies, Nos. 48–49, 2023; “Promoting Maritime Cooperation Post-COVID”, in Towards Open and Inclusive Regionalism: Promoting Maritime Cooperation Post-COVID, Centre for Strategic and International Studies of Indonesia, 2023; “1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea: 40 Years for Peace, Sustainable Development of the Seas and Oceans”, Communist Review, Issue 99, 2022 (in Vietnamese); “Vietnam Maritime Law Enforcement”, The Korean Journal of International and Comparative Law, 2018; “Four ‘Shas’ – China’s New Legal Tactics in the South China Sea”, Journal of International Studies, No. 1(112), 2018 (in Vietnamese); “The July 12 Award on Historical Title, Historical Rights and Impacts on State Practices on the South China Sea”, Chinese Yearbook of International Law, 34 (2016), 2017; “Award of the Republic of the Philippines v. the People’s Republic of China: Legal Implications to the South China Sea Disputes”, Asian Yearbook of International Law, 21 (2015), 2017; “The South China Sea Tribunal’s Award: New Prospects for Cooperation?”, in: Regional Security Outlook, CSCAP, 2017; “The South China Sea Award: Legal Implication for Vietnam”, Contemporary Southeast Asia, Vol. 38/3, 2016; “Settlement of the South China Sea Dispute: A Vietnamese View”, in: Pavin Chachavalpongpun (ed.), Entering Unchartered Waters? ASEAN and the South China Sea, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2014; “The Paracels: Forty Years On”, RSIS Commentaries, 2014; “Island and Maritime Claims in the South China Sea: Illusions of or Intentional Dilution of International Law”, Vietnam Law & Legal Forum, 2014; “Content and Roadmap for a Legally Binding COC in the South China Sea”, Vietnam Law & Legal Forum, 2014; “Vietnam’s Country Report on International Maritime Crimes”, Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore, 2011.
Distinctions: Award of Merit from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam for outstanding contributions to the establishment of Viet Nam’s baselines in the Gulf of Tonkin (2025); Award of Merit from the Prime Minister of Viet Nam for achievements in work from 2016 to 2020 (2021); Nakasone Yasuhiro Award for young scholars, granted by Japan’s Institute for International Policy Studies (2015); Best Written Award, Rhodes Academy of Ocean Law and Policy and the International Foundation for the Law of the Sea Summer Academy (2010).