The ASEAN Law Institute is a concrete affirmation of the solemn commitment of the ASEAN Law Association (ALA) to the realization of One Vision, One Identity, One Community for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

ASEAN was founded in 1967 with the aim of promoting inter-country cooperation in Southeast Asia. In 2003, ASEAN declared its intention to integrate its member states into a single ASEAN community. To hasten ASEAN regional integration, there is a need to harmonize ASEAN national laws, develop ASEAN regional law and legal structures, and promote mechanisms for the avoidance and resolution of intra-ASEAN commercial disputes.

ALA pioneered efforts to foster mutual legal cooperation among the ASEAN states in the 1980s. Today, ALA plays an important role in achieving ASEAN economic development and integration. First, the Association has a strong network of judges, government lawyers, legal scholars, and leaders of the Bar societies of the ASEAN states.

Second, ALA was given a special mandate under the ASEAN Charter as the sole civil society organization for law accredited by ASEAN. Pursuant to this special mandate, the Association was named as a partner for strengthening ASEAN legal cooperation and legal infrastructures and was recognized as the ASEAN Secretariat’s civil society adviser for law. ALA has been closely coordinating with officials for the ASEAN Senior Law Officials Meetings (ASLOM).