President's Blog June 2025
Posted: 18 Jun 2025 by IAFL
I am delighted to report that the IAFL has, for the first time, entered into a formal Statement of Cooperation with another sister organisation, LAWASIA.
The Statement of Cooperation was signed at the 9th LAWASIA Family Law and Children’s Rights Conference in Penang, Malaysia on 13 June 2025. I had the privilege of signing on behalf of the IAFL, along with Shyam Divan, the President of LAWASIA.
You may recall that when I took over as President in September 2023, that one of my three objectives was, “to develop and strengthen relationships with other organisations who share our objectives and values.”. I see this as part of that journey for IAFL and it’s a privilege for us to be able to partner with LAWASIA, and further develop and strengthen the existing relationship of trust that we already have.
LAWASIA and IAFL have been friends and colleagues for many years. In advance of the conference last week, IAFL hosted a half-day seminar on International Family Law. The conference took place over three days and saw 135 delegates, representing 15 different jurisdictions (16 if you include Scotland, as distinct from England and Wales!) share knowledge and experience. This meeting, and the IAFL involvement with it, has been running for over a decade, and we look forward to continuing to work with our colleagues in LAWASIA to develop and strengthen the bonds between our two organisations.
LAWASIA was established 20 years before us, in Canberra, Australia, in 1966. Their primary mission is to protect human rights, preserve the independence of the judiciary and promote the rule of law. An added dimension that has taken on particular significance for them in recent years is standing up for lawyers and bar associations who are threatened by unwarranted and extreme executive duress.
LAWASIA’s work in family law has a rich legacy. The formal roots of this journey trace back to the 11th LAWASIA Conference in Hong Kong in September 1989, where the Family Law and Family Rights Section was established. What followed thereafter was a sustained and evolving series of conferences and convenings across the Asia Pacific region, which built momentum for deeper dialogue. One of the most significant achievements of this work was the development of the LAWASIA Declaration on Children’s Rights and the Siem Reap Principles, which were borne out of the 4th Children and the Law Conference in Cambodia in 2011. The Siem Reap Principles were an additional step towards recognising and acting against child abuse in any form or circumstances. The principles were formally endorsed by the LAWASIA Council representing legal bodies from over 30 different jurisdictions.
In 2013, recognising the interwoven nature of issues around family and children, it was decided to merge the two tracks of Family Law and Children’s Rights into a single conference – the Family Law and Children’s Rights Conference. Since then, these conferences have continued to thrive and have taken place in Sapporo, Hong Kong and Laos. IAFL has worked with LAWASIA on these meetings, following the significant contribution of our late fellow, Anne-Marie Hutchinson KC, who was instrumental in bringing our two organisations together.
We already have many fellows who are active in both IAFL and LAWASIA and, as our Asia Pacific Chapter continues to grow, we look forward to further strengthening and deepening the relationships between our two organisations for the benefit of our respective members and fellows, and the communities and individuals we serve.
It would be remiss of me not to make specific mention, and give particular thanks to our fellow in Singapore, TL Yap, who is also President-Elect of LAWASIA. It is as a consequence of his work and support that the Statement of Cooperation came into being and I am very grateful to him for his efforts, and foresight for both of our organisations. He has worked with the President of our Asia Pacific Chapter, Kai Yun Wong, to bring us to this point and, also, to produce a wonderful meeting in beautiful Penang.
Rachael Kelsey
