ASEAN Law Forum 2025 in Kuala Lumpur
2025/8/21
ASEAN Law Forum 2025 -Enhancing access to Justice in the ASEAN Economic Community: Bridging Legal Cooperation for Inclusive Growth- was held, as one of the activities of the ASEAN Senior Law Officials Meeting (ASLOM) and as an initiative of Malaysia, the chair of ASEAN in 2025, on 19-21 August 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The Forum discussed the current status and challenges of international arbitration in ASEAN, as well as future initiatives. The Forum was attended many participants, including government officials, legal practitioners, academics, business professionals and staff of international arbitration institutions from ASEAN countries, dialogue countries such as Japan, and international organizations such as the United Nations Commission on International Commercial Transactions Law (UNCITRAL) and and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) to discuss the current status, challenges, and future initiatives related to alternative dispute resolution (ADR) centered on international arbitration, and other related matters, such as cross-border insolvency, cybercrime, legal harmonization, the responsible use of artificial intelligence in justice systems, and justice frameworks for commercial law, Business and Human Rights guiding principles, e-commerce legislation, and arbitration for Islamic, maritime, sports.
On the second day of the Forum, the Government of Japan (Ministry of Justice of Japan) conducted a panel discussion titled “Promotion of International Commercial Arbitration across ASEAN and Japan: Challenges and Opportunities” as part of the ASEAN-Japan Work Plan on Law and Justice, contributing to the discussions at the Forum. In recognition of such contributions by Japan, the Malaysian government (Prime Minister's Office) expressed its gratitude.
On the third day(the final day) of the forum, a ministerial-level meeting was held with the participation of law ministers from ASEAN member states and Timor Leste, chaired by YB Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department of Malaysia (Law and Institutional Reform), and attended by YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, and H.E. Masahiro Takamura, State Minister of Justice of Japan, among others.
In recognition of the contributions by Japan, the Malaysian government (Prime Minister's Office) expressed its gratitude on various occasions.
The Forum discussed the current status and challenges of international arbitration in ASEAN, as well as future initiatives. The Forum was attended many participants, including government officials, legal practitioners, academics, business professionals and staff of international arbitration institutions from ASEAN countries, dialogue countries such as Japan, and international organizations such as the United Nations Commission on International Commercial Transactions Law (UNCITRAL) and and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) to discuss the current status, challenges, and future initiatives related to alternative dispute resolution (ADR) centered on international arbitration, and other related matters, such as cross-border insolvency, cybercrime, legal harmonization, the responsible use of artificial intelligence in justice systems, and justice frameworks for commercial law, Business and Human Rights guiding principles, e-commerce legislation, and arbitration for Islamic, maritime, sports.
On the second day of the Forum, the Government of Japan (Ministry of Justice of Japan) conducted a panel discussion titled “Promotion of International Commercial Arbitration across ASEAN and Japan: Challenges and Opportunities” as part of the ASEAN-Japan Work Plan on Law and Justice, contributing to the discussions at the Forum. In recognition of such contributions by Japan, the Malaysian government (Prime Minister's Office) expressed its gratitude.
On the third day(the final day) of the forum, a ministerial-level meeting was held with the participation of law ministers from ASEAN member states and Timor Leste, chaired by YB Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department of Malaysia (Law and Institutional Reform), and attended by YAB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, and H.E. Masahiro Takamura, State Minister of Justice of Japan, among others.
In recognition of the contributions by Japan, the Malaysian government (Prime Minister's Office) expressed its gratitude on various occasions.