ASEAN-Japan Work Plan on Law and Justice
To deepen cooperation between ASEAN and Japan in the field of law and justice in the mid-term, senior law officials
of ASEAN and Japan actively discussed and developed the ASEAN-Japan Work Plan on Law and Justice (hereinafter
"the Work Plan") and identified areas of cooperation and coordination, with a view to contributing to the promotion
of fundamental values such as the rule of law and respect for human rights in ASEAN Member States (AMS) and
Japan. Through the implementation of implementing the Work Plan, ASEAN and Japan will contribute to realising the
commitments made in the Joint Statement to be adopted as the outcome document of the ASEAN-Japan Special
Meeting of Justice Ministers which will be held on July 6, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan.
The Work Plan aims to promote friendship and closer cooperation between ASEAN and Japan, as well as assisting
AMS in the areas of cooperation identified in the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo Pacific.
It is expected that ASEAN and Japan will, in the implementation of the Work Plan, work in collaboration with relevant
United Nations specialised agencies with specific expertise such as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and United Nations Commission on International Trade
Law (UNCITRAL). ASEAN and Japan will also work together to seek synergies with, and avoid duplication of work
or overlap of mandates with existing frameworks as well as to find the best procedure and means to implement all
areas of work, including efforts to obtain necessary funding from appropriate available sources. This Work Plan should
ensure flexibility to tend to the needs of AMS. Furthermore, the Work Plan and its details of the implementation scheme
may be modified and concurred upon by ASEAN and Japan on a need basis.
Periodic reporting on the status of implementation is expected to take place in the forthcoming ASEAN Senior Law
Officials Meeting (ASLOM)-Japan Consultations. ASEAN and Japan are encouraged to actively report progress,
exchange views and opinions, as well as discuss future steps.
All areas of cooperation and coordination identified in this Work Plan will be implemented in close consultation with
the relevant ASEAN Sectoral Bodies and line ministries. Nothing in this Work Plan shall be construed to change the
mandate or structure of existing ASEAN Sectoral Bodies.
The Work Plan is as follows:
Number Goals Proposed Activity
General Matters
1 Identify common key issues in the
field of law and justice to be
addressed by ASEAN and Japan in
the short to mid-term
- Continue to hold the ASLOM-Japan Consultation on a regular
basis based on consultations and consensus of ASLOM on the
appropriate timing and venue
- Discuss and endeavour to implement feasible measures to enhance
the strategic dialogue in the ASLOM-Japan Consultation
2 Address identified key issues by
enhancing knowledge and
strengthening mutual
understanding
- Consider sustainable means to gather experts and researchers to
conduct research and/or exchange knowledge in the field of law and
justice in ASEAN and Japan on a regular basis, including study visit
programmes
3 Explore key elements for legal
technical assistance towards
- Hold meetings to take stock of achievements so far as well as
discuss key elements that could be incorporated into a future vision
building a stronger partnership of cooperation between ASEAN and Japan on legal technical
assistance
4 Promote human resource
development and capacity building
through exchange of experts in the
field of law and justice
- Design appropriate schemes to enable the systematic and
institutional exchange of legal experts between AMS and the
Research and Training Institute of the Ministry of Justice of Japan
Cooperation in Promoting Rules-Based Dispute Resolution arising from Cross-Border Business Transactions
5 Strengthen the use of international
arbitration and mediation as a
means to resolve disputes arising
from cross-border business
transaction
- Consider means to bring together participants from governments,
arbitration, mediation and other alternative dispute resolutions
organisations, practitioners and international organisations with
relevant expertise on domestic legal systems and/or actual dispute
settlement, to exchange knowledge, good practices and experiences
in international arbitration and mediation, including those
pertaining to the digitalization of such proceedings, with a view to
exploring recommendations for implementing and/or improving
domestic legal frameworks as well as contemplating international
guidelines, rules and standards, where appropriate
- Provide opportunities for arbitration, mediation and other
alternative dispute resolution organisations and practitioners in the
region, to build networks, consider developing a list of focal points
and facilitate the exchange of information
Cooperation in Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
6 Strengthen the mechanisms for
effective international cooperation
in criminal matters including:
- Mutual legal assistance
- Offender treatment, rehabilitation
and social reintegration
- Organise seminars to build capacity of practitioners from AMS
such as increasing the capacity of AMS on MLAin criminal matters
through sharing of best practices in investigation and law
enforcement methods as well as prosecution while taking into
account the need for effective countermeasures against not only
traditional crimes but also newly emerging crimes, and treatment of
offenders or persons deprived of liberty including rehabilitation and
reintegration, and establish points of contact to address common
challenges in strengthening international cooperation , bearing in
mind the information and best practices as well as challenges
identified at the regularly held Criminal Justice Forum for the Asia
and Pacific (Crim-AP) meetings
- Continue to participate in, and promote active dialogues among
practitioners by taking advantage of the Crim-AP as a means to
strengthen international cooperation between ASEAN and Japan
- Continue to implement the Kyoto Declaration through ongoing
national efforts
7 Promote a rehabilitative
environment in the society to realise
a society in which "no one is left
behind" including through
- Create opportunities to share knowledge on community-based
treatment upon mutual request between ASEAN and Japan
- Conduct activities that promote the values of community
coordination with community
volunteers
volunteers engaged in offender treatment
- Conduct activities that promote the values of community
volunteers engaged in offender treatment including rehabilitation
and reintegration
Cooperation on Issues to Further Promote the Rule of Law
8 Improve knowledge and
understanding on issues that are key
to further promoting the rule of law
in the region
- Consider utilising appropriate venues, inter alia, the ASLOM-
Japan Consultation to share knowledge and deepen understanding,
upon discussion between ASEAN and Japan, on issues that are
relevant to further promoting the rule of law and human rights,
which may include:
- improving access to justice
- promoting exchange of information on legal systems and/or
good practices on intellectual property dispute resolution
through coordinating and facilitating the participation of
legal practitioners from AMS to the Judicial Symposium on
Intellectual Property (JSIP) follow-up seminars for AMS
- any other issues identified as relevant between ASEAN and
Japan