More than 200 delegates from nine member countries will attend the 10th General Assembly of the ASEAN Law Association (ALA) in Hanoi from Oct. 14-18.

Under the theme of “ASEAN Charter – Taking ASEAN to new heights,” this year’s meeting marks the first time the Vietnamese national committee for ALA will hold its presidency, the Vietnam Lawyers Association told reporters on Oct. 8.

The conference is scheduled to discuss a range of issues such as the implications of the ASEAN Charter for legal education within the bloc, the resolution of current legal issues under the Charter, and developments over the past five years in the legal system of ALA member countries.

Participants will also make a critical evaluation of investment laws and current judicial reforms in ASEAN countries to draw lessons and learn from experiences, and ramp up the enforcement of the payment of awards after international commercial arbitration in member countries.

Established in 1979, ALA is one of the region’s largest non-governmental organisations. It brings together under one roof members of all the different branches of the legal profession – judges, professors, and private and government lawyers.

The ALA aims to promote close relations, cooperation and mutual understanding amongst lawyers in ASEAN countries and provide an organisational framework for regional cooperation.

It also provides proactive mechanisms for member countries to avoid conflicts, and helps in the arbitration and resolution of legal disputes in transnational contracts within the ASEAN region./.