Thailand's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vilawan Mangklatanakul has been elected as the President of the IAEA's 67th General Conference. Ambassador Mangklatanakul was appointed as Thailand's Permanent Representative in 2023 following her extensive service with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand.
Ambassador Mangklatanakul began her path as a career diplomat with Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1995. During her service she represented the Government of Thailand as a legal negotiator and adviser, demonstrating her expertise in international law including diplomatic and state immunities, international economic law, treaty law and dispute settlement.
She held several roles within the Ministry including Deputy Director-General, Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs; Director-General, Department of International Economic Affairs; Director-General, Department of Treaties and Legal Affairs; and Deputy Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Thailand, a position which she held from 2022 until her recent appointment as Thailand's Permanent Representative.
Additionally, Ambassador Mangklatanakul's expertise has been extensively applied within the UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). She served as Vice-Chairman of the 35th Annual Session of UNCITRAL, Rapporteur of the 39th Session of the UNCITRAL Working Group on Arbitration and Vice-President of the 56th Annual Session of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization. Ambassador Mangklatanakul's recent election by the United Nations General Assembly as a member of the International Law Commission for the 2023-2027 term marked a milestone in gender championship as she became Thailand's first woman candidate and the first woman international lawyer from ASEAN to be elected to such a position.
Ambassador Mangklatanakul received her Bachelor of Laws from Thammasat University, Master of Laws from the Queen Mary College at the University of London and Doctor of Philosophy in Law from the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies at the University of London. She continued her involvement in academia as a frequent lecturer on international law, treaty law, international trade, investment and dispute settlement.
