Myanmar attends 11th ASEAN law ministers’ meeting (ALAWMM)

A delegation led by Union Minister for Legal Affairs and Attorney-General of the Union Dr Thida Oo attended the 11th ASEAN Law Ministers’ Meeting (ALAWMM) held through videoconferencing yesterday morning.
At the meeting, Union Minister and Attorney-General of the Union Dr Thida Oo said Myanmar, as a member of ASEAN, adheres to the ASEAN Charter and respects its responsibilities in the Charter. Myanmar is also working together with other member states of ASEAN to build the ASEAN Community and achieve regional cooperation, in addition to active participation in ALAWMM activities. Myanmar has successfully held the rotating chairmanship of the 19th ASEAN Senior Legal Officers Meeting (ASLOM), she added.
The Union Minister explained the legal developments in Myanmar. Office of the Union Attorney General was reorganized into the Ministry of Legal Affairs under Section 419 of the State Constitution on 30 August 2021. The Ministry is responsible for scrutinizing drafted laws, regulations, rules, orders, and directives submitted by Union-level organizations and relevant ministries and providing legal advice. After receiving the recommendation of the Ministry of Legal Affairs, the relevant ministry or organization shall submit the draft to the Security, Stability and Peace, and Rule of Law Committee for approval at Cabinet meeting, she explained.
After obtaining such approval, the State Administration Council promulgates it as a law. The Ministry is implementing the action plan “Providing Legal Service for Justice (2020-2024) with five objectives, as well as conducting capacity-building training courses for law officers and staff, the Union Minister added.
She also said Myanmar Law Information System (MLIS) website has been established to provide easy access to legal information, and the ASEAN Legal Officer Association (Myanmar) has been reorganized in 2021 in which the Union Minister for Legal Affairs the Attorney-General of the Union acts as the Chairman and judicial officers, law officers and lawyers and professors from university law departments included.
The meeting discussed the implementation status of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, the establishment of a ToR (Term of Reference) and the formation of a working group on the progress of the ASEAN Senior Legal Officers (ASLOM) on the development of the extradition treaty, and recognized the inclusion of the Mutual Legal Aid Agreement on Criminal Matters in Appendix 1 of the ASEAN Charter.
The meeting also reviewed the 11th ALAWMM implementations, approved the report of the 19th ASLOM and the Joint Communique of the 11th ALAWMM, and discussions were held on the proposal to hold ASLOM once a year and ALAWMM once every two years.
It is reported that the 22nd ASEAN Senior Law Officer Meeting (ASLOM) and 12th ASEAN Law Ministers Meeting (ALAWMM) will be chaired by Myanmar in 2023. — MNA