Read More
The annual five-day Hong Kong Legal Week 2026 commenced on Monday, opening with a panel discussion chaired by Ignacio Tirado, Secretary-General of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT).
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
Featuring legal representatives from Australia, Indonesia, South Korea, and Singapore, the seminar centered on utilizing UNIDROIT instruments to strengthen legal infrastructure and promote regional development.
Tirado expressed optimism that the newly established UNIDROIT Asia-Pacific Liaison Office in Hong Kong will enhance long-term legal cooperation across mainland China, Hong Kong, and the broader region.
Panellists echoed the view that modernizing and unifying private law standards is essential for reducing cross-border trade costs and driving regional economic recovery.
South Korea explores joining Cape Town Convention to support key industries
Representing the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Korea, Choi Seung-eun outlined how a structural reform in 2023 created the International Legal Affairs Department, significantly boosting the country's capacity to collaborate with UNIDROIT.
She noted that as a global leader in aviation and heavy construction equipment, South Korea is actively studying accession to the Cape Town Convention.
Choi expressed confidence that the Hong Kong Liaison Office will serve as a strong bridge connecting Asia-Pacific nations, offering a Chinese idiom describing trees coming into bloom and bearing fruit to signal her high hopes for fruitful long-term collaboration.
Indonesia leverages international principles to modernize legacy commercial laws
Highlighting Indonesia's experience, Zul Ahadi Rahmanika from the Ministry of Law explained that the nation has incorporated the Cape Town Convention into its domestic legislation since becoming a UNIDROIT member state in 2008.
Because Indonesia's private law framework still relies heavily on legacy colonial-era Dutch codes, the government is actively drawing on the Principles of International Commercial Contracts (UPICC) to draft modern domestic contract and commercial laws.
Rahmanika revealed that Indonesia's Ministry of Law recently partnered with five local universities to utilize the new Hong Kong Liaison Office for advancing legal research and judge training programs.
The Cape Town Convention stands as one of UNIDROIT's most successful commercial law treaties, creating an international legal framework for security interests, registration, and enforcement regarding high-value mobile assets such as aircraft, railway rolling stock, and space assets.
Regional liaison office to bridge legal divergences and anchor long-term ties
Another panel session focused on the centenary milestone and the role of the UNIDROIT Asia-Pacific Liaison Office in advancing regional legal unification and collaboration.
Speaking at the event, Benjamin Herisset, incoming director of the liaison office, expressed that he felt deeply honored to assume the post. He is scheduled to take office in December and arrive in Hong Kong early next year to commence operations.
Herisset stated that the primary objective of the new office is to examine more effective approaches to narrowing legal divergences in the region, ensuring efforts precisely align with and address the practical legal needs of Asia-Pacific jurisdictions.
He emphasized that the seminar had brought together member states, non-member states, academic institutions, and potential partners, adding that cross-sector exchanges would provide a critical foundation for formulating a clear, actionable, and supportive work roadmap.
Addressing the session, Attaché to the Secretary-General and Co-Director of the Asian Transnational Law Centre at UNIDROIT, Huang Meiling, highlighted that transnational law initiatives had yielded fruitful outcomes in promoting international instruments, with the Hong Kong office now serving as a permanent anchor.
Under Herisset’s leadership, the office will cultivate stronger partnerships with regional governments and professional bodies, transforming previous academic and legal collaboration into sustainable practical initiatives.
Looking ahead, Huang expressed confidence that UNIDROIT’s headquarters in Rome and the Hong Kong office will advance in tandem, integrating local Asia-Pacific legal jurisprudence more deeply into the organization's global initiatives to open a new chapter in regional legal cooperation.
