Chief Executive Celebrates Opening of the UNIDROIT Centenary Regional Conference for the Asia-Pacific in Hong Kong

2026-11-02 10:48 Last Updated At：13:18

Speech by CE at Hong Kong Legal Week 2026: UNIDROIT Centenary: Regional Conference for the Asia-Pacific and Opening Ceremony of the Asia-Pacific Liaison Office

Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, at Hong Kong Legal Week 2026: UNIDROIT Centenary: Regional Conference for the Asia-Pacific and Opening Ceremony of the Asia-Pacific Liaison Office today (November 2):

Professor Enzo Moavero-Milanesi, (President of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT)), Professor Ignacio Tirado (Secretary-General of the UNIDROIT), Commissioner Cui Jianchun (Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning, and welcome to Hong Kong.

It is my honour and privilege to be here, with you, at the opening of the UNIDROIT Centenary Regional Conference for the Asia-Pacific.

This is a day of double celebration. Today we commemorate 100 years of UNIDROIT's extraordinary contribution to the modernisation and harmonisation of private law. Equally significant, we're here to witness the opening of a new chapter of UNIDROIT – the establishment of its inaugural office outside its seat in Rome, right here in Asia's World City, Hong Kong.

UNIDROIT was established in 1926, under the auspices of the League of Nations. Back then, few could have imagined the profound impact it would have on the global legal landscape in the century to follow.

Today, UNIDROIT stands as one of the world's oldest international organisations dedicated to strengthening the rule of law in international private and commercial law. Its 65 member states come from five continents.

While the League of Nations no longer exists, UNIDROIT remains a prominent and independent inter-governmental organisation based on the 1940 UNIDROIT Statute.

Its mission – to study the needs and methods for modernising, harmonising and co-ordinating private and commercial law among states, formulating uniform law instruments, principles and rules to achieve those objectives – has become more relevant than ever.

UNIDROIT has been instrumental in reducing legal barriers to trade, investment and cross-border co-operation. In doing so, it promotes the connectivity and prosperity that our region treasures.

So, yes, Hong Kong gladly welcomes the establishment of the UNIDROIT Asia Pacific Liaison Office in our city.

It is a decision of profound significance – for UNIDROIT, for Hong Kong and for the entire Asia-Pacific region.

The Liaison Office will serve as a focal point for enhanced engagement with member states and stakeholders in the region. And it will play a crucial role in the legislative and institutional work of UNIDROIT.

Hong Kong, strategically located at the heart of Asia, is an ideal home for the Asia-Pacific Liaison Office.

We are a renowned international legal, trade and financial hub, and a host to many international organisations.

Hong Kong is also the only common law jurisdiction within China, our country, operating under the unique principle of "one country, two systems". Our legal system is renowned for its robust rule of law, buttressed by a deep pool of legal talent.

Our laws and dispute resolution framework are well aligned with international standards and recognised globally. Indeed, the 2026 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, published last month, ranks Hong Kong sixth in East Asia and the Pacific, and within the first quintile out of 143 countries and jurisdictions. And Hong Kong maintained its position within the top 10 globally in "Absence of Corruption" and "Order and Security".

The National 15th Five-Year Plan supports Hong Kong in deepening its development as an international legal and dispute resolution services centre.

Hong Kong's First Five-Year Plan, launched in September, sets out a range of measures to harness the unique advantages of our common law system.

And this year's Policy Address reaffirms our commitments in greater detail, specifically noting our support for the establishment of the UNIDROIT Asia-Pacific Liaison Office in Hong Kong.

The Liaison Office will also enjoy benefits from co-operation with other partner organisations here. That includes the International Organization for Mediation, headquartered in Hong Kong since last year, as well as the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization's Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre and the Hague Conference on Private International Law's Regional Office for the Asia Pacific.

The Liaison Office may also enjoy benefits from the stakeholder network established by the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy. The Academy was launched by the Department of Justice two years ago this month. Working together, I'm confident the two organisations can address UNIDROIT's needs for capacity building.

Such legal co-operation is essential in a city that thrives on openness, connectivity and rules-based international order.

We strive to attract global organisations and talent, enable international legal co-operation and position Hong Kong as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" for East and West.

The Asia-Pacific accounts for more than 40 per cent of global GDP and encompasses vital trade corridors.

The Liaison Office reflects the importance of the Asia-Pacific region in UNIDROIT's work and will deepen collaboration, resulting in a better understanding and implementation of private law.

This Liaison Office is a symbol of our collective ambition to build a more harmonious and prosperous future for the Asia-Pacific and beyond.

I wish to thank UNIDROIT for its enduring trust in Hong Kong, and to express my gratitude to our country for its staunch and unwavering support, without which this milestone would not have been possible. My thanks, as well, to all of you for your commitment to this shared endeavour.

I am confident that the establishment of the Liaison Office will strengthen the long-standing collaborative relationship between Hong Kong and UNIDROIT, serving as a catalyst for deeper engagement throughout the region.

Let us continue to work together – to harmonise, connect and build a future rooted in peace and prosperity.

I wish this conference and the Liaison Office every success. The conference, let me add, is the opening event of this year's Hong Kong Legal Week, five days of high-profile discussions and gatherings designed to strengthen regional and cross-sector collaboration, including the Second Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Lawyers Forum and the third Asia-Pacific International Private Law Summit.

For those of you here from overseas, I wish you a memorable stay in Hong Kong, the world's rising East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange, and legal exchange, too.

Thank you.

Hong Kong Legal Week 2026 Launches with Focus on Legal Collaboration and Innovation

UNIDROIT Centenary: Regional Conference for Asia-Pacific and Opening Ceremony of Asia-Pacific Liaison Office opens Hong Kong Legal Week 2026

The Hong Kong Legal Week 2026, an annual flagship event of the Department of Justice (DoJ), was launched today (November 2). As a landmark annual event in the legal community, the five-day event themed "Collaboration & Innovation: Legal Synergy for a Shared Future" brings together legal professionals, business leaders, policymakers, academics, and leading international legal organisations from Hong Kong and around the world to have in-depth discussions and exchanges on forward-looking issues such as regional legal co-operation, international dispute resolution, construction of foreign-related rule of law, lawtech and opportunities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Marking the centenary celebration of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) and the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), both leading international legal organisations will hold celebratory events during the Hong Kong Legal Week, making this year's programme particularly significant.

UNIDROIT Centenary: Regional Conference for Asia-Pacific and Opening Ceremony of the Asia-Pacific Liaison Office was held as the opening event of this year's Hong Kong Legal Week. The Opening Ceremony was officiated by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee; the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), Mr Cui Jianchun; the President of UNIDROIT, Professor Enzo Moavero-Milanesi; the Secretary-General of UNIDROIT, Professor Ignacio Tirado; and the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC. With the support of the Central Government, the DoJ has successfully secured the establishment of UNIDROIT's first office outside its seat in Rome in its 100 years of history, demonstrating Hong Kong's leading role as an international legal hub.

In his welcome remarks, Mr Lee said that today marks a double celebration, commemorating UNIDROIT's centenary and witnessing the opening of a new chapter for UNIDROIT – the establishment of its Asia-Pacific Liaison Office in Hong Kong. He noted that as a renowned international legal, trade and financial hub, Hong Kong strives to attract global organisations and talent, enable international legal co-operation and position Hong Kong as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" for East and West. By setting up a liaison office in Hong Kong, UNIDROIT not only enjoys benefits from co-operation with other partner organisations in the city, but also benefits from the network established by the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy to promote capacity building in the region. The establishment of the office is a symbol of the collective ambition to build a more harmonious and prosperous future for the Asia-Pacific and beyond.

The Director-General of the Department of Treaty and Law, Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China, Dr Yu Ning, said in her video speech that UNIDROIT setting up a liaison office in Hong Kong reflects the international community's high regard for Hong Kong and marks a significant achievement in the city's continuous effort in building itself as an international legal centre. She said that in recent years, the HKSAR has continued to strengthen its exchanges and co-operation with UNIDROIT under the framework of "one country, two systems", further showcasing to the world its strengths including its robust common law system, well-established judicial system and extensive pool of international legal talent.

Professor Enzo Moavero-Milanesi said that UNIDROIT was founded with the aim to allow different parties to work on an equal basis towards the harmonisation of private law. Noting that many countries of the Asia-Pacific region are UNIDROIT member states, he said that the decision to open a liaison office in Hong Kong, with its strategic position in the Asia-Pacific region, is intended to give stronger impetus to the development of UNIDROIT's work in the future.

Delivering his opening remarks, Mr Lam said that Hong Kong's relationship with UNIDROIT is longstanding. The establishment of the liaison office in Hong Kong will take the city's relationship with UNIDROIT to the next level, and will provide a stable and effective platform in the Asia-Pacific region to facilitate the development of international private law. He noted that the presence of the three major private international law organisations at the Hong Kong legal hub, namely theUNIDROIT Asia-Pacific Liaison Office, the Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, and the DoJ Project Office for Collaboration with UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission on International Trade Law), together with the International Organization for Mediation, the AALCO (Asian African Legal Consultative Organization) Hong Kong Regional Arbitration Centre and other international institutions, will create synergy. It will showcase Hong Kong's unique advantage as a distinctive platform to facilitate closer collaboration among international and regional institutions, serving as a strong testament to the theme of this year's Hong Kong Legal Week: "Legal Synergy for a Shared Future".

The Regional Conference for the Asia-Pacific in celebration of UNIDROIT's centenary came right after the Opening Ceremony. More than 700 registrations from more than 40 countries or regions were received to attend the conference. Most of the participants, including representatives of the member states, governments and organisations supporting UNIDROIT, as well as its long-standing partners in the Asia-Pacific region, gathered to review UNIDROIT's achievements of a century in modernising and harmonising private law, and to explore how it can continue to foster regional development in its next century. The conference featured three panel discussions, with speakers from Australia, Indonesia, Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, Vietnam, Uzbekistan and other jurisdictions. The discussions focused on the impact of UNIDROIT’s normative and institutional work in the region, while taking a prospective lens to examine opportunities and emerging challenges in the Asia-Pacific region.

The Deputy Secretary for Justice, Dr Cheung Kwok-kwan, said in his closing remarks that UNIDROIT opening its first ever overseas office in Hong Kong fully reflects the international community's vote of confidence in Hong Kong's legal system. The Liaison Office will serve not only as a platform for dialogue with governments on the development and implementation of its instruments, but also as a hub for collaboration with academia, arbitral and mediation institutions, financial institutions and other key stakeholders. In an increasingly interconnected region with diverse legal systems, there is a clear need for UNIDROIT to work in partnership with other international organisations in the Asia-Pacific region to deliver legal infrastructure which is attuned to the needs of the region, Dr Cheung added.

The 3rd Asia-Pacific International Private Law Summit will be held tomorrow (November 3). With the theme of "Advancing Future-Ready Legal Infrastructure to Foster Digital Innovation, Sustainable Growth, and Regional Connectivity in the Asia-Pacific" this year, the participants will focus on issues at the forefront of the future development of the Asia-Pacific region, examining the role of transnational commercial law in fostering digital innovation, sustainable growth and resilient markets in the region.

Other events during the Hong Kong Legal Week include the celebration event of UNCITRAL's 60th anniversary to be held on Wednesday (November 4); the Fourth Legal Forum on Interconnectivity and Development and the Hong Kong Mediation Lecture 2026 on Thursday (November 5); as well as the Second Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area Lawyers Forumon Friday (November 6).

In addition, the three-day Hong Kong LawTech Fest 2026 will kick-start on Wednesday, featuring dynamic exhibitions and live demonstrations to foster collaboration between legal and technology professionals. A highlight of the fest, the LawTech Forum, will take place on Thursday. Under the theme "Human in the Loop, Integrity at the Core - Redefining Legal Practice with LawTech", leading lawtech experts and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds will exchange views at the Forum.

For more details of Hong Kong Legal Week 2026, please visit the dedicated website at www.legalweek.hk. A live broadcast will be available on the dedicated website and at webcast.info.gov.hk.

Chief Executive Celebrates Opening of the UNIDROIT Centenary Regional Conference for the Asia-Pacific in Hong Kong

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Chief Executive Celebrates Opening of the UNIDROIT Centenary Regional Conference for the Asia-Pacific in Hong Kong

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