SJ commences European visit in Netherlands (with photos)
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Upon his arrival, Mr Lam met with Hong Kong people and overseas Chinese organisation representatives living in the Netherlands and Luxembourg to learn about their work and life, and shared with them the latest developments of Hong Kong in various areas.
After arriving at The Hague on July 7, Mr Lam visited the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) and met with the Secretary General of the HCCH, Dr Christophe Bernasconi. Mr Lam thanked the HCCH for its support for the secondment programme of legal professionals of the Department of Justice (DoJ) and exchanged views on further strengthening the co-operation between the DoJ and the HCCH, including hosting an international conference about the Hague Conventions during the DoJ's flagship event - Hong Kong Legal Week in December this year.
Mr Lam then met with the Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice and Security of the Netherlands, Ms Anneke Van Dijk, and officials to introduce the latest developments of Hong Kong and discuss issues such as the development and direction of international legal co-operation.
Afterwards, Mr Lam had a lunch meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mr Tan Jian. Mr Lam thanked the Central Government for supporting the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to actively participate in meetings of international organisations as part of the Chinese delegation, providing opportunities for Hong Kong legal talent from the public and private sectors to take part in various projects of the HCCH. He said that the DoJ will continue to strengthen international legal talent training, as well as exchanges and co-operation with international organisations to contribute to the promotion of the country's contribution to the development of international rule of law.
In the afternoon, Mr Lam visited the ICJ of the United Nations and met with the President of the ICJ, Mr Yuji Iwasawa, to exchange views on the latest developments in international dispute resolution, including the establishment of the International Organization for Mediation with its headquarters in Hong Kong. They also shared views on the training of international legal experts and professionals. Mr Lam then visited the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) and met with the Secretary-General of the PCA, Dr Marcin Czepelak, to discuss the co-operation between the DoJ and the PCA in the fields of capacity building and international law.
In the evening, Mr Lam attended a business seminar and dinner organised by the Netherlands Hong Kong Business Association with the support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels and Invest Hong Kong. Speaking at the seminar, Mr Lam shared with about 100 participants Hong Kong's distinctive advantage of enjoying the strong support of the motherland while being closely connected to the world under the "one country, two systems" principle. He stressed that Hong Kong's legal system is credible and reputable, user-friendly, and closely tied with Mainland China and other parts of the world. These elements make Hong Kong's legal system exceptional among other common law peers.
Mr Lam will go to Paris for the second leg of his European visit today (July 8, Amsterdam time).
Ends/Tuesday, July 8, 2025
Issued at HKT 8:10
Issued at HKT 8:10
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