The Philippines will host the 21st Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ Senior Law Officials Meeting (ASLOM), a forum to promote legal cooperation within the region, on October 13 and 14.
The Department of Justice (DOJ), which will host the forum, stressed that the event will be held at the Hilton Manila in Pasay City. It said the 21st ASLOM will be the first in-person meeting since COVID-19 hit the world in 2020.
“This will be the second time since 1996 that the Philippines will host the annual meeting after ASLOM was established in 1985,” the DOJ said in a statement.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla will deliver the opening remarks and will lead in welcoming the delegates.
The 21st ASLOM will be chaired by DOJ Undersecretary Brigido J. Dulay, while the Philippines’ delegation will be headed by DOJ Chief State Counsel George O. Ortha II.
The DOJ said that ASLOM “serves as a forum for senior law officials from ASEAN member states’ respective Ministries of Justice, including Attorney General’s Chambers, to discuss legal issues of common interest pertaining to legal cooperation with a view to promote ASEAN’s objectives within the ASEAN Political-Security Community.”
“These include instruments for international legal cooperation, harmonization of trade laws, and other areas calling for legal cooperation,” it said.
It recalled that during the 11th ASEAN Law Ministers Meeting (ALAWMM), then Justice Secretary and now Solicitor General Menardo I. Guevarra advocated “for stronger legal cooperation within the ASEAN region, by offering to host a working group meeting for negotiations of the ASEAN Extradition Treaty, and by pushing the Philippine proposal to have ASEAN-wide Convention on Transfer of Sentenced Persons (TSP).”
“The Legal Staff of the DOJ, as the central authority for international legal cooperation, is set to continue with the goals of the DOJ to strengthen legal cooperation and contribute to further the objectives of ASLOM,” it said.
It also said that next week’s meeting “intends to further identify other specific areas of cooperation by discussing new proposals.”
“ASLOM also welcomes discussions with Japan, in accordance with the proposed Japan-ASEAN Work Plan to promote the rule of law amongst these countries,” the statement said.