Hanoi (VNA) — Vietnam proposed strengthening the foundations of peace, cooperation and development in the East Sea based on international law and upholding the role of law in preserving indigenous cultural diversity amid globalisation at the 38th annual conference of the Law Association for Asia and the Pacific (LAWASIA 2025), which concluded in Hanoi on October 13.
Vietnam reaffirmed its consistent policy of resolutely and persistently safeguarding its sovereignty and legitimate maritime interests, while actively promoting peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The country also underscored its commitment to preserving and promoting the rich and diverse cultural identity of the Vietnamese ethnic groups amid intensive global integration.
The two-day conference brought together nearly 600 delegates, including leaders of bar associations, legal organisations, judicial agencies, and law schools from the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Participants engaged in over 30 thematic sessions discussing issues such as “Toward Asia 2050 – Realising the Asian century through trade, investment and dispute resolution,” legal cooperation within the Belt and Road Initiative, domestic and cross-border dispute settlement, and the promotion of commercial mediation as a tool for justice.
Other topics included the role of green finance and carbon credits in mitigating climate change, international trade and tariffs in the Asia-Pacific, challenges for lawyers, and the role of the judiciary and legal practitioners in shaping the future of law.
A notable highlight was the thematic session “Strengthening the foundations of peace, cooperation and development in East Asia based on international law and the 1982 UNCLOS,” which drew significant interest. The session was chaired by Dr. Tran Cong Truc, former head of the Vietnamese Government’s Border Committee, with panelists including Varun K. Chopra of VKC Law (India), Dr. Nguyen Ba Cuong, Managing Director of VNJUST Law Firm (Vietnam), and Kokila Vaani Vadiveloo of Kumar Chambers (Malaysia).
Lawyer Do Ngoc Thinh, President of the Vietnam Bar Federation, said it was an honour for Vietnam to co-host the conference — the organisation’s most important yearly event that connects lawyers and bar associations across the region in pursuit of a shared goal: developing a professional, reputable and community-oriented legal profession. He added that hosting the event in Hanoi provides an opportunity to showcase Vietnam’s image, people, and legal system to international peers, while highlighting the country’s judicial reforms, open-door policies, and socio-economic development achievements.
The conference is expected to open new avenues for cooperation between Vietnamese lawyers and businesses and their international counterparts./.
