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Malaysia bolsters legal cooperation in ASEAN Economic Community

The forum, scheduled to take place from August 19 to 21, will serve as a platform to push for regional cooperation in building fairer and more inclusive legal systems, Minister of Law and Institutional Reform Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said at an ceremony to introduce the event on August 4.

Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Malaysia will host the ASEAN Law Forum 2025 in Kuala Lumpur for the first time to promote the region’s common vision of justice, trust and cooperation in economic development.

The forum, scheduled to take place from August 19 to 21, will serve as a platform to push for regional cooperation in building fairer and more inclusive legal systems, Minister of Law and Institutional Reform Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said at an ceremony to introduce the event on August 4.

Azalina said the event will focus on improving access to justice across the ASEAN Economic Community, especially amid rapid digital and cross-border integration. The ASEAN Law Forum is not just another legal conference. It is a strategic platform, held during Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship, to advance the region’s shared vision of justice, trust and cooperation.

Themed “Enhancing Access to Justice in the ASEAN Economic Community: Bridging Legal Cooperation for Inclusive Growth in the Digital Age,” the forum is expected to attract legal experts, policymakers, academics and civil society representatives from within and outside the region.

Key topics include international arbitration, online safety, cyber crime, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in legal systems, cross-border insolvency, and reforms in criminal and commercial law. Specialised sessions will also address Islamic and maritime arbitration, sports law and e-commerce legislation. The business and human rights guiding principles will be part of the agenda.

According to the minister, the forum’s centrepiece will be the adoption of a Joint Statement by ASEAN law ministers on international arbitration and mediation, calling it “a regional commitment to consistent, fair and business-friendly legal systems".

As the 2025 ASEAN Chair, Malaysia is organising the forum in collaboration with the ASEAN Secretariat, the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC), Japan’s Ministry of Justice, and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA)./.

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