The Asian–African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO) is an international governmental organization formed in 1956, initially to serve as an advisory board to member states on matters on international law. It was an outgrowth of the Bandung Conference, held in Indonesia during April, 1955, which led to the establishment of the Asian Legal Consultative Committee (ALCC). In April, 1958, it changed its name to the Asian-African Legal Consultative Committee (AALCC) to reflect the growth of its membership beyond the African side of the United Arab Republic. Since 2001, it has been known by its current name, the AALCO, reflecting the growth of its international status; currently an intergovernmental organization having received a standing United Nations invitation to participate as an observer in the sessions and the work of the General Assembly and maintaining a permanent office at Headquarters.
Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization | |
Headquarters | New Delhi, |
---|---|
Official language | English |
Secretary General | Kamalinne Pinitpuvadol ( |
Website | Official website |
In 2014, the AALCO established an Informal Expert Group on Customary International Law. That group adopted a set of comments on the work of the International Law Commission on identification of customary international law. Those comments and the report of the AALCO Special Rapporteur Sienho Yee are published on the website of the AALCO.[1]
AALCO Regional Centres for International Commercial Arbitration
editOne of the major achievements of AALCO in its programme in the economic field was the launching of its Integrated Scheme for Settlement of Disputes in the Economic and Commercial Transactions in 1978. Pursuant to that Scheme, it was decided to establish Regional Arbitration Centres under the auspices of AALCO, which would function as international institutions with the objectives to promote international commercial arbitration in the Asian-African regions and provide for conducting international arbitrations under these Centres. Five such Centres have been established so far, as below:
- Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC, formerly known as Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration), Malaysia
- Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA), Arab Republic of Egypt
- Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration Lagos (RCICAL), Nigeria
- Tehran Regional Arbitration Centre (TRAC), Islamic Republic of Iran[2]
- Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration (NCIA), Nairobi, Republic of Kenya
The respective host Governments recognize their independent status like an international organization and have accorded privileges and immunities to these Centres. AALCO provides its expertise and assistance to its Member States in the appointment of arbitrators and other matters related to the conduct of arbitration. Its Centers provide the opportunities for training of arbitrators as well. The Directors of the Centres, who are from amongst lawyers familiar to arbitration, are appointed by suggestion of the host governments and ratification of the Secretary-General of AALCO. Directors of the Centres present their reports on the functioning of the Centres at the Annual Sessions of AALCO.[citation needed]
List of AALCO Secretaries-General
edit- Barry Sen (1956–1987)
- Frank X. Njenga (1988–1994)
- TANG Chengyuan (1994–2000)
- Wafik Zaher Kamil (2000–2008)
- Rahmat Mohamad (2008–2016)
- Kennedy Gastorn (2016–2020)[3]
- Kamalinne Pinitpuvadol (2021–present)[4]
Members
editThe current membership includes the following members, with founding members marked with an asterisk (*):[5]
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Brunei
Cameroon
China
Cyprus
Egypt* (founding member as United Arab Republic)
The Gambia
Ghana
India*
Indonesia*
Iran
Iraq*
Japan*
Jordan
Kenya
Kuwait
Lebanon
Libya
Malaysia
Mauritius
Mongolia
Myanmar*
Nepal
Nigeria
North Korea
Oman
Pakistan
Philippines
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Somalia
South Africa
South Korea
Sri Lanka*
State of Palestine
Sudan
Syria* (founding member as United Arab Republic)
Tanzania
Thailand
Turkey
Uganda
Viet Nam
Yemen
Observers
editFormer members
editReferences
edit- ^ "AALCOIEG Chairman's Statement and Special Rapporteur's Report" (PDF).
- ^ TRAC, Tehran Regional Arbitration Centre. "HOME". Tehran Regional Arbitration Centre. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
- ^ "Former Secretaries General". www.aalco.int. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
- ^ Dr. Kamalinne Pinitpuvadol elected to serve as the Secretary-General of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO)
- ^ "Member States". Asian African Legal Consultative Organization. Retrieved 17 November 2023.