University of the Philippines Assistant Professor Andre C. Palacios, who is also the Executive Director of the ASEAN Law Institute, chaired the opening session of the ASEAN Law Conference at the InterContinental Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand on 21 July 2026.

Singapore Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon delivered the opening session keynote address on the importance of arbitration to ASEAN. Four legal experts then discussed how their country has implemented the UN Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, also known as the New York Convention.

Court of Appeal President Datuk Seri Abu Bakar bin Jais (Malaysia) presented first, and was followed by Thai Arbitration Institute Executive Director Judge Kamonchanok Katinasmit (Thailand). Next to present were Rajah & Tann partner Mr. Devathas Satianathan (Singapore) and Dzungsrt partner Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Trang (Vietnam).

The session formed part of the ASEAN Law Institute’s ongoing ASEAN-wide research on the implementation of the New York Convention. Palacios, who directs the project, said the Institute plans to conduct a session in 2027 featuring legal experts from Indonesia, Philippines, and other ASEAN states.

The ASEAN Law Conference was organized by the ASEAN Law Association (ALA) which was established in 1979. Listed in Annex 2 of the ASEAN Charter, ALA is the ASEAN-accredited association of lawyers, judges, and law teachers. The ALA has a national committee in each ASEAN state, with the Philippine national committee chaired by Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo.