ASEAN Agreement on Extradition – a milestone in regional legal cooperation

On November 14, 2025, in Manila, the Philippines, the 13th ASEAN Justice Ministers' Meeting (ALAWMM 13) officially opened. The interdisciplinary delegation of the Ministry of Justice of Vietnam, led by Party Central Committee member and Minister Nguyen Hai Ninh, attended the Conference. ALAWMM 13 was attended by Justice Ministers/Attorneys General of 11 ASEAN member countries and the ASEAN Secretary General.

ASEAN's commitment to building a unified and united legal framework

Attending and delivering a speech at the Opening Ceremony, President of the Republic of the Philippines Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. emphasized the importance of strengthening legal and judicial cooperation among ASEAN member states and proactively coordinating closely in responding to cross-border security challenges. According to the President, this is a key factor in building a secure, safe, sustainable and people-centered ASEAN Community. The President welcomed the signing of the ASEAN Extradition Agreement at ALAWMM 13, considering it the result of a joint effort across the region, sending a strong message that criminals cannot take advantage of borders between ASEAN countries to evade legal responsibility.

The Justice Ministers of 11 ASEAN countries and the ASEAN Secretary General took a photo with President of the Republic of the Philippines Ferdinand

The signing of the Agreement demonstrates ASEAN’s clear commitment to building a unified, united and stronger legal framework than ever before. The President also emphasized that in the ASEAN community, the voice of every citizen is heard, and ASEAN needs to continue to promote its central role, strengthen solidarity and consensus within the bloc to ensure peace , stability and sustainable development for the region, President Ferdinand emphasized.

Within the framework of ALAWMM 13, representatives of ASEAN countries officially signed the ASEAN Agreement on Extradition among 11 member countries. After more than four years of negotiations (from 2021 to present, through 14 meetings), the Agreement was completed and signed, becoming a highlight in the 40-year journey of ASEAN legal and judicial cooperation, and marking an important step forward in strengthening intra-bloc legal cooperation.

The agreement, which establishes a unified legal basis for the extradition of criminals among ASEAN countries, is a clear demonstration of the region's strong commitment to improving the effectiveness of the fight against transnational crime, promoting the rule of law and justice, thereby maintaining peace and stability in the region. Vietnam's representative, General Luong Tam Quang, Politburo member and Minister of Public Security , signed this important document on behalf of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Propose three priority directions

At the Plenary Session of the Conference, Vietnamese Minister of Justice Nguyen Hai Ninh delivered an important speech.

The Minister affirmed that 2025 is an important milestone for ASEAN, marking the completion of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025 and entering the implementation phase of the new roadmap to realize the ASEAN Community Vision 2045. In the context of complex changes in the world and the region, maintaining and promoting ASEAN's central role and building a "self-reliant, dynamic, creative, people-centered" ASEAN Community is the common goal of all of us.

Vietnamese Minister of Justice Nguyen Hai Ninh speaks at the plenary session of the 13th ASEAN Justice Ministers' Meeting.

In that process, legal and judicial cooperation through mechanisms such as ALAWMM and ASLOM plays a very important role, being the foundation for realizing the goals of the ASEAN Political-Security Community pillar, contributing to ensuring security, order and sustainable development in the region.

“The signing of the ASEAN Agreement on Extradition at this Conference is a clear demonstration of our common commitment to enhancing mutual judicial assistance cooperation,” Minister of Justice Nguyen Hai Ninh emphasized.

To realize the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, Minister Nguyen Hai Ninh proposed three priority orientations for legal and judicial cooperation in the coming time:

First , enhance the role of legal and judicial cooperation in consolidating ASEAN's solidarity, unity and institutional effectiveness.

The Minister emphasized the need to continue researching and enhancing connectivity between legal systems; promote effective implementation of ASEAN treaties and legal documents; and enhance coordination in handling traditional and non-traditional security challenges, especially in preventing and combating transnational and cyber crimes.

Second , build a solid legal foundation to promote intra-bloc connectivity to support socio-economic development. We need to continue to promote judicial assistance cooperation, promote alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in the civil and commercial fields, to create opportunities to promote intra-bloc economic exchanges; at the same time, enhance the sharing of legal knowledge, build a knowledge management system and train and improve the capacity of legal and judicial staff.

Third , legal and judicial cooperation should become an institutional support for innovation, digital transformation and the application of artificial intelligence (AI). To meet the requirements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we need to proactively research and develop appropriate legal frameworks for new economic models such as digital economy, green economy and circular economy. In addition, we need to promote the application of information technology and AI in legal and judicial activities; build a digital ASEAN legal database; and focus on improving the digital capacity of officials, helping ASEAN proactively adapt and seize opportunities from digital transformation.

Minister Nguyen Hai Ninh also shared that Vietnam plans to host the ASEAN Law Forum in 2026 with the theme “Application of artificial intelligence in law-making and enforcement in the digital age”. The forum is expected to be an opportunity for member countries to share experiences, discuss cooperation orientations, promote digital transformation in the legal and judicial fields, and meet the development requirements of the region.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Vietnam's accession to ASEAN (1995-2025), Minister Nguyen Hai Ninh affirmed that Vietnam will continue to be an active and responsible member, closely coordinating with member countries to strengthen legal and judicial cooperation, effectively implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, towards a region of peace, stability, cooperation and prosperous development.

The 13th ASEAN Justice Ministers' Meeting will continue its working sessions on November 15, 2025, with many important contents on legal and judicial cooperation.

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/hiep-dinh-asean-ve-dan-do-dau-moc-hop-tac-phap-luat-khu-vuc-10395684.html