ATTORNEY GENERAL’S CHAMBERS
PRESS RELEASE
THURSDAY, 21ST AUGUST 2025
ASEAN LAW FORUM 2025:
ENHANCING ACCESS TO JUSTICE IN THE ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY:
BRIDGING LEGAL COOPERATION FOR INCLUSIVE GROWTH IN THE DIGITAL AGE
The Honourable Attorney-General, Datin Seri Paduka Hjh Nor Hashimah binti Haji
Muhammed Taib and officers from the Attorney General’s Chambers attended the ASEAN
Law Forum 2025 from 19 August 2025 to 21 August 2025 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention
Centre, Malaysia.
The opening of the ASEAN Law Forum 2025, hosted under Malaysia’s Chairmanship of
ASEAN, was launched by the Honourable Minister at the Prime Minister’s Department (Law
and Institutional Reform), Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said, on 19 August 2025. It was attended
by ASEAN Law Ministers and Vice Ministers, and the Minister of Law of Timor-Leste, as well
as ASEAN senior law officials and high officials of ASEAN Dialogue Partners including the
Vice Minister of Justice of Japan, and international legal experts such as United Nations
Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), Asian International Arbitration
Centre and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). Through the
plenary sessions and thematic parallel sessions, the ASEAN Law Forum 2025 engaged in
high-level discussions with the objectives of providing platform for dialogue on enhancing
access to justice, strengthening legal cooperation, and promoting inclusive growth in the
digital age.
The ASEAN Law Forum brings together officials, practitioners and legal experts,
policymakers and stakeholders from ASEAN Member States and dialogue partners to
participate in discussions on current matters related to ASEAN legal systems in strengthening cooperation and the rule of law, and build an ASEAN Community that is
inclusive, resilient, and future-ready.
Aligned with the theme “Enhancing Access to Justice in ASEAN Economic Community: Bridging
Legal Cooperation for Inclusive Growth”, the ASEAN Law Forum 2025 focused on advancing
international commercial arbitration and mediation in addition to addressing a broader
range of contemporary legal issues and challenges comprehensively in areas relating to
cross-border insolvency, online safety, cyber-related crimes, AI-driven legal innovation, and
good governance.
The central outcome of the ASEAN Law Forum 2025 is the adoption of the Joint Statement on
International Commercial Arbitration and Mediation Development by the ASEAN Law
Ministers on 21 August 2025, as gracefully witnessed by Yang Amat Berhormat Dato’ Seri
Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia. Also, in attendance at the ceremony was His
Excellency Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary General of ASEAN. The Joint Statement declared
and acknowledged commitments in vital areas such as regional economic development
through alignment with existing international standard, leveraging innovation and
technology and enhancing access to justice. This Joint Statement is also among the key
deliverables of Malaysia’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2025.
A group photo of the ASEAN Law Ministers and ASEAN Secretary General with YAB Dato’
Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, as well as Attorney General of Malaysia at
the ceremony of the Adoption of the Joint Statement on International Commercial
Arbitration and Mediation Development, 21 August 2025, Kuala Lumpur Convention
Centre. – Photo source: asean.org
Adoption and Affirmation of Joint Statement on International Commercial Arbitration and
Mediation Development by ASEAN Law Ministers. – Photo source: ASEAN Secretariat
