JOINT STATEMENT OF THE ASEAN-JAPAN SPECIAL MEETING OF
JUSTICE MINISTERS
6 JULY 2023
TOKYO, JAPAN
The ASEAN-Japan Special Meeting of Justice Ministers was held in Tokyo,
Japan on the 6th
of July 2023, on the occasion of the 50th
Year of ASEAN-
Japan Friendship and Cooperation, hosted by the Ministry of Justice of
Japan and co-chaired by Japan and Malaysia,
Acknowledging the significant progress of the Revised Implementation Plan
of the Vision Statement on ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation:
Shared Vision, Shared Identity and Shared Future, adopted in Manila,
Philippines on 6 August 2017 by the Foreign Ministers of both ASEAN
Member States and Japan, in which both sides reaffirmed the shared
commitment to maintaining and promoting peace, security, and stability in
the region, as well as to the peaceful resolution of disputes, including respect
for legal and diplomatic processes, without resorting to the threat or use of
force in accordance with the universally recognised principles of
international law;
Referring to the Joint Statement of the 23rd
ASEAN-Japan Summit on
Cooperation on ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific adopted in Hanoi, Viet
Nam on 12 November 2020 which noted that both the ASEAN Outlook on
the Indo-Pacific and Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific concept share
relevant fundamental principles in promoting peace and cooperation;
Welcoming with satisfaction the remarkable achievements attained
throughout five decades of ASEAN-Japan Dialogue Relations, which have
significantly contributed to peace, stability, prosperity and sustainable
development in the region;
Taking stock of the long-standing history of cooperation between ASEAN
Member States (AMS) and Japan in the field of law and justice including
through legal technical assistance, capacity building and networking
initiatives;
Recalling the 1st
ASEAN Senior Law Officials Meeting (ASLOM)-Japan
Consultation convened online on 26 October 2021 in which the proposal by
Japan to develop the ASEAN-Japan Work Plan on Law and Justice
(hereinafter "the Work Plan") and hold the ASEAN-Japan Special Meeting
of Justice Ministers was positively welcomed by all ASLOM Members;
Committed to strengthening cooperation between ASEAN and Japan in the
field of law and justice to a new phase beyond 2023 through continued
dialogue on matters pertaining to law and justice, and
In conformity with respective obligation under international law and in
accordance with domestic laws, regulations and policies of ASEAN Member
States and Japan.
DO HEREBY DECLARE THE FOLLOWING:
1. The Meeting commits to upholding and promoting shared values and
fundamental principles such as the rule of law and respect for human rights,
as well as national sovereignty and territorial integrity, through, among
others strengthening and elevating the level of cooperation in the field of law
and justice between ASEAN and Japan taking momentum of the occasion of
the 50th
Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation.
2. The Meeting emphasizes that cooperation and coordination between
ASEAN and Japan in the field of law and justice, including through the
"Justice Affairs Diplomacy" initiative promoted by the Ministry of Justice of
Japan, contribute to strengthening the rule of law domestically, as well as
developing a peaceful and prosperous international community that shares
and upholds fundamental values such as the rule of law and respect for
human rights.
3. The Meeting commits to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development through our cooperation in the field of law and justice based
on the firm recognition that the rule of law and respect for human rights are
the bedrock for achieving sustainable development and fostering a society in
which "no one is left behind."
4. The Meeting will share values and experiences in the field of law and
justice, deepen mutual understanding of our laws and legal systems, and keep
ourselves updated on the needs and interests of both ASEAN and Japan in
order to pave the way towards sustainable meaningful and mutually
beneficial cooperation.
5. The Meeting will continue to strengthen the positive undertakings in legal
technical assistance in ASEAN provided through the International
Cooperation Department of the Research and Training Institute of the
Ministry of Justice of Japan, which has contributed to promoting the rule of
law in the region, and endeavours to work towards the legal technical
assistance between ASEAN and Japan for the post-2023 era.
6. The Meeting will continue to strengthen capacity building in the field of
law and justice, including through promoting the development of human
resources and enhancing networks, building on the history of strong
cooperation through the training courses and seminars provided by the
United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and
the Treatment of Offenders (UNAFEI), and organise new seminars to further
strengthen our efforts.
7. The Meeting will strengthen operational connectivity and cooperation
between ASEAN and Japan through the promotion of and active engagement
in practical, action-oriented measures as reflected in the Work Plan.
8. The Meeting will strengthen our cooperation in promoting rules-based
resolution to disputes arising from cross-border business transaction through
the use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms such as arbitration and
mediation including the use of digitalisation in such proceedings.
9. The Meeting will strengthen our cooperation in the field of crime
prevention and criminal justice, including mutual legal assistance and
reducing reoffending through rehabilitation and social reintegration in both
correctional facilities and the community while promoting public-private
partnerships, and the exchange of best practices with a view to developing
and improving technical standards for correctional facilities.
10. The Meeting will endeavour to work together to address other relevant
issues in the field of law and justice that contribute to the promotion of the
rule of law and human rights, such as improving access to justice, intellectual
property dispute settlement, taking initiatives to foster understanding among
citizens on the values that constitute the laws and legal systems including
through education.
11. In order to fulfil its joint commitments, the Meeting will continue to work
closely based on the Work Plan under the spirit of friendship, cooperation
and equal partnership, and commits to elevating the ASEAN-Japan
cooperation in the field of law and justice to the next phase.
12. While preserving full respect for the mandates of ASEAN Sectoral
Bodies, the Meeting will take necessary measures to coordinate between the
relevant ASEAN Sectoral Bodies in implementing the commitments made
herein in this Joint Statement.
Adopted in Tokyo, Japan the 6th of July in the Year Two Thousand and
Twenty-Three.