16 NOVEMBER 2020

On 16 November, the South Pacific Lawyers' Association (SPLA) and LAWASIA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a view to strengthening organisational cooperation, as well as to increase the exchange of information and strengthen person-to-person ties between lawyers in the Asia Pacific region.

The MOU recognises the shared aims and similar objectives of the associations to ​protect the rule of law, human rights and promote the independence of the legal profession and judiciary.

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LAWASIA and SPLA will endeavour to:

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• pursue the possibility of holding joint activities on matters of importance to the legal community;

• consider releasing joint press statements from time to time on matters of mutual concern;

• consider opportunities to engage in joint observer missions or like activities;

• consider offering reciprocal observer status at formal meetings where considered appropriate;

• encourage participation in each other's events through promotion to their respective memberships,

• cooperate with each other in arranging their own events so as to minimise the likelihood of overlap or conflict

• promote and exchange ideas by means of each other’s publications (including publication via the organisations’ websites); and

• where practicable, invite the president of the other organisation to attend its annual meeting or similar formal occasion in a representative capacity.