Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is the speech by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, at the opening ceremony of 23rd Willem C Vis East International Commercial Arbitration Moot today (March 15):
Ms Barrington (Director of the Vis East Moot Foundation, Ms Louise Barrington), Ms Tung (Director and the Chief Executive Officer of the Vis East Moot Foundation, Ms Sherlin Tung), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
A very good evening. On behalf of the Department of Justice (DoJ) of Hong Kong , it is my great pleasure to welcome you all to the 23rd Willem C. Vis East International Commercial Arbitration Moot (Moot). Let me begin by expressing my sincere thanks to the Vis East Moot Foundation for once again bringing this prestigious and vibrant event to Hong Kong.
This year, the Moot has reached exciting new heights, bringing altogether over 1 300 students and coaches from 161 university teams from 37 jurisdictions worldwide, alongside more than 500 professionals. It is unfortunate that around 10 teams are unable to come here, and some arbitrators are also unable to be here because of what is happening in the Middle East. This is perhaps a very timely reminder of the importance of resolving international disputes of whatever nature by peaceful means, including arbitration. In any event, the remarkable figures that I have just mentioned reflect the growing influence of the Moot as a global platform for nurturing young legal talent and fostering the next generation of arbitration leaders.