The National Scientific Conference on “Law for Sustainable Development Goals”

On the morning of May 27^th, 2025, the National Scientific Conference “Law for Sustainable Development Goals” was successfully held by the Thuongmai University, in collaboration with the Hanoi Law University and the Academy of Policy and Development. The conference garnered significant attention from lecturers, researchers, and experts. Among the distinguished participants was Prof. Dr. Le Hong Hanh, President of the Vietnam International Arbitration Center (VIAC).

Overview of the National Scientific Conference on “Law for Sustainable Development Goals”

As the world faces increasingly complex and multidimensional challenges - climate change, depletion of natural resources, pollution, social inequality and unpredictable economic fluctuations - sustainable development has become an imperative and an inevitable trend. In Vietnam, the Party and the State have long established sustainable development as a strategic and overarching goal in key documents, especially the Socio-Economic Development Strategy for the 2021 - 2030 period with a vision toward 2045.

The legal system plays a decisive role in realizing the aspiration for sustainable development. A progressive, transparent, effective, adaptable, and forward-looking legal system serves as a strong basis toward achieving sustainable development goals comprehensively and effectively.

In this context, the National Scientific Conference on “Law for Sustainable Development Goals” served as a multidimensional academic forum, gathering both knowledge and practical experience with the aim to propose breakthrough legal solutions to support Vietnam’s sustainable development process. The Conference welcomed representatives from co-organizers, government agencies, professional organizations, and corporate partners. Prof. Dr. Le Hong Hanh, President of the Vietnam International Arbitration Center (VIAC) attended and delivered a presentation on "The necessary and sufficient conditions for the law to enable the realization of sustainable development goals”.

Prof. Dr. Le Hong Hanh, President of the Vietnam International Arbitration Center (VIAC)

In his presentation, Prof. Dr. Le Hong Hanh emphasized that sustainable development is a global trend and a strategic objective for nations. As the core of institutions, the law plays a vital and decisive role in national development. However, he noted that the current legal system has yet to establish an institutional framework oriented toward sustainable development in Vietnam. To achieve sustainable development goals, the law must first be comprehensive, encompassing all the needs of sustainable development. It must closely align with reality, integrating normative aspects with practical enforcement, and adhere to the approaches and fundamental principles of international law on sustainable development. Moreover, the legal system must establish mechanisms for fair, transparent, swift, and effective dispute resolution, with particular emphasis on promoting the development of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms, among which is arbitration.

Prof. Dr. Le Hong Hanh delivering his presentation on "The necessary and sufficient conditions for the law to enable the realization of sustainable development goals”

At the Conference, researchers, scientists, lecturers, businesses, and policymakers addressed achievements, limitations and legal gaps, shared international experiences from countries that have successfully integrated sustainable development goals into their legal systems, thereby proposing practical recommendations to improve Vietnam’s legal and policy framework. The Conference also fostered connections among lecturers, legal experts, academic institutions, research institutes, and legal practitioners across the country, thus helped establish a strong academic community focused on law and sustainable development.

For more information and to download the Event Materials, see HERE.