Media Statement

Minister Kubayi to attend the 63rd AALCO Annual Session in Uganda

07 September 2025

The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, will travel to Kampala, Republic of Uganda, from Monday, 08 September to Friday, 12 September 2025, to participate in the 63rd Annual Session of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organisation (AALCO) Conference.

The aim and objective of AALCO is to serve as an advisory body to its Member States in the field of international law, and as a forum for Asia-Africa cooperation in legal matters of common concern.

In this regard the 63rd Annual Session will therefore bring together Ministers of Justice, Legal Advisers, international law experts, and representatives from international organisations to deliberate on key items of international law.

South Africa became a Member State of AALCO on 15 May 2004.

This year, the conference, expected to be officially opened by President Yoweri Museveni, will deliberate on a wide range of issues, including the Law of the Sea, the work of the International Law Commission (ILC), violations of international law in Palestine and other occupied territories, environmental protection and sustainable development, international trade and investment law, asset recovery and cooperation in combating corruption, as well as emerging legal questions relating to outer space.

Forty-nine (49) countries comprising almost all the major States from Asia and Africa are presently members of the organisation.

AALCO traces its roots to the 1955 Bandung Conference in Indonesia, which emphasized solidarity between Asia and Africa in international legal and political affairs.

Established in 1956 as the Asian Legal Consultative Committee (ALCC), the organisation has since evolved into a permanent forum for cooperation, consultation, and consensus-building on pressing legal issues facing both continents.

In 2001, the body was renamed the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organisation (AALCO).

The Annual Sessions are typically hosted by a Member State, following a geographical rotation between Africa and Asia.

South Africa values AALCO as a platform for advancing Africa-Asia cooperation on global legal issues, particularly in ensuring that the voices of developing nations are heard in shaping international law.

Minister Kubayi’s participation will reaffirm South Africa’s commitment to multilateralism, the rule of law, and international cooperation in addressing global challenges.

Media enquiries: Terrence Manase, Spokesperson to the Minister – 082 338 6707 

Audio:Terrence Manase, Spokesperson to Minister Kubayi, on the Minister's official visit to Uganda to participate in the 63rd Annual Session of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organisation (AALCO).

ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE AND CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA