About the Forum | ASEAN Law Forum 2025

When

Scheduled for August 19th to 21st, the ASEAN Law Forum 2025 will be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The Forum follows the active efforts spearheaded by YB Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said to enhance ASEAN’s legal landscape, including through The 2024 Kuala Lumpur Forum on Arbitration, the ASEAN Tour and now The ASEAN Law Forum 2025. These initiatives have laid the strong foundations for the Joint Statement by ASEAN Law Ministers on International Commercial Arbitration and Mediation Development, set to take place on the last day of the Forum on August 21^st.

Why

The ASEAN Law Forum 2025 will centre on advancing international commercial arbitration and mediation, while also addressing a broader range of contemporary legal challenges. These include commercial and criminal law reforms, cross-border insolvency, online safety, cyber-related crimes, AI-driven legal innovation, and good governance. The Forum will examine the crucial link between legal systems and economic integration, with a strong focus on enhancing access to justice within the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and the Political-Security Community (APSC).

Designed as a dynamic platform for dialogue and collaboration, the Forum will explore the evolving legal landscape across ASEAN, including the alignment with existing international standards and the integration of artificial intelligence into legal processes.

Through this initiative, Malaysia reaffirms its dedication to fostering a cohesive, inclusive, and forward-looking ASEAN committed to legal cooperation, innovation, and sustainable regional integration.

Who

Hosted by the Government of Malaysia, the Forum will convene thought leaders, policymakers, legal experts, and practitioners from across the region and beyond. High-level officials from relevant ministries and legal institutions of ASEAN Member States, Timor-Leste, and Dialogue Partners are expected to attend, underscoring strong regional commitment. A highlight of the Forum will be the attendance of the Right Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who will witness the affirmation of the Joint Statement by ASEAN Law Ministers on the Development of International Commercial Arbitration and Mediation, led by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said.

Chairmanship Initiatives

Malaysia’s 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship has placed legal reform at the heart of its regional agenda. In line with the MADANI Government’s vision of strengthening regional cooperation and inclusivity, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), YB Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said, has actively led efforts to enhance ASEAN’s legal landscape, including through three key initiatives: KL Forum on International Arbitration 2024: The Future of International Arbitration - Reforms and Innovations, the ASEAN Tour and the ASEAN Law Forum 2025. These initiatives have laid strong foundations for the Joint Statement by ASEAN Law Ministers on International Commercial Arbitration and Mediation Development, which will take place on the last day of the ASEAN Law Forum 2025, on August 21st, 2025.

KL Forum on International Arbitration 2024: The Future of International Arbitration - Reforms and Innovations

The KL Forum on International Arbitration took place in November 2024 in partnership with the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) and was themed “The Future of International Arbitration: Reforms and Innovations”. This high-level event served as a key thought-leadership platform and convened senior ASEAN legal officials, arbitral institutions, practitioners, and scholars to address the most pressing challenges facing arbitration today. Beyond highlighting Malaysia’s thought leadership, the Forum supported regional standard-setting and reinforced the region’s collective commitment to legal reform.

The ASEAN Tour

The ASEAN Tour on International Commercial Arbitration and Mediation Reforms has been a cornerstone of Malaysia’s legal diplomacy efforts. In the past several months, YB Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), has conducted bilateral engagements with counterparts in the majority of ASEAN countries, as well as strategic partners like China and Japan. These engagements are about building trust and finding common ground on legal reform priorities. It is an initiative grounded in the belief that meaningful reform must be driven through partnership and regional consensus.

More information about the ASEAN Tour.

The ASEAN Law Forum

The upcoming ASEAN Law Forum which Malaysia will host in August 2025, will also serve as a platform for discussing the best methods of integrating AI into commercial arbitration and mediation, as well as other contemporary legal issues such as online safety, cyber-related crimes, cross-border insolvency, criminal justice and commercial law.

The Joint Statement by ASEAN Law Ministers on International Commercial Arbitration and Mediation Development:

The Joint Statement by ASEAN Law Ministers on International Commercial Arbitration and Mediation Development will be a landmark commitment. It signifies a shared regional ambition to set higher standards, strengthen cross-border cooperation, and make ASEAN a competitive and credible dispute resolution hub. It reflects consensus on the need to move from dialogue to implementation, and Malaysia is honoured to lead this initiative. The Joint Statement will be led by the Honourable Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) and ASEAN Law Ministers on the last day of the ASEAN Law Forum 2025, to be witnessed by the Right Honourable Prime Minister of Malaysia, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia, and the Secretary-General of ASEAN.