Speech by George Yeo, Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the Opening Dinner of the Inaugural Conference of the Asian Society of International Law on 7 April 2007 at 7.30pm at Meritus Mandarin

Excellencies
Ladies and Gentleman

1 My wife and I are delighted to join you this evening at the Inaugural Conference of the Asian Society of International Law. We are honoured to see so many distinguished international lawyers and jurists here tonight, in particular Dame Rosalyn Higgins, President of the International Court of Justice, the former President Judge Shi Jiuyong, Judge Hisashi Owada, Judge Kenneth Keith, and former ICJ Judge C G Weeramantry. We thank them for their support of this event. We are thrilled that the Asian Society of International Law has chosen to hold its launch and Inaugural Conference in Singapore and to locate its Secretariat at the NUS Law School.

2 The launch of the Asian Society of International Law and its Inaugural Conference mark an important milestone in the development of international law in Asia. International law, consisting of principles, rules and customs, governs the relations between States and makes for a more orderly world. Most of the basic principles of international law, as they exist today, took shape during the 18th and 19th centuries, at a time when many Asian countries were either under European colonial rule or under the domination of European powers. There was, therefore, little or no Asian input until the end of the Second World War.

3 With the formation of the United Nations and the independence of many Asian countries, Asia has played a growing role in the development of international law. Asian countries have participated actively in the negotiations of various international legal instruments. It is significant that the three Presidents of the First, Second and Third UN Conference on the Law of the Sea, Prince Wan of Thailand, Amb H S Amerasinghe of Sri Lanka and Ambassador Tommy Koh of Singapore, were all Asians.

4 The value placed on international law by Asian countries can also be seen in the decision by the Leaders of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) to adopt a Charter during their next Summit in Singapore in November. The Charter will help us become a more rule-based organisation. It will provide for compulsory dispute settlement by independent panels. The Charter will, however, not prevent ASEAN member states from having recourse to international dispute settlement mechanisms like the International Court of Justice.

5 With rapid economic development in Asia, the contribution of Asian scholars and practitioners to the progressive development of international law will grow in this century. In this regard, the Asian Society of International Law will provide a common platform for them to meet, exchange views and share experiences. The Society also plays an important role in creating awareness of international law in Asia and promoting respect for it. All this is good for peace and development.

6 The work of the Asian Society of International Law will complement that of the long-established and very influential American Society of International Law and the more recently established European Society of International Law. I hope that the Asian Society of International Law will become a catalyst for deeper dialogue among Asian scholars, and between Asian and Western scholars. Through such dialogues, we will be able to achieve a more balanced development of international law reflecting the diversity of our world.

7 Thank you.