A 60th anniversary celebration event for the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) was held today as part of Hong Kong Legal Week 2026.

Over 700 people from more than 40 jurisdictions attended the event, reflecting on UNCITRAL's achievements in fostering the progressive harmonisation, unification and modernisation of international trade law over the past six decades, and how UNCITRAL can further support cross-boundary commerce in the digital era.

The event featured discussions of UNCITRAL's contribution to the international transport of goods and trade finance, and the challenges and opportunities facing global commerce in an increasingly paperless and digital ecosystem.

Delivering welcome remarks, Secretary for Justice Paul Lam said UNCITRAL's contribution to the international transport of goods in the digital economy is not just about legal texts, but also its role in reducing trade barriers, ensuring interoperability, and creating a legally certain digital ecosystem for global commerce.

Mr Lam stressed that as an international trade centre, Hong Kong has shown its commitment to promoting the development of digital trade by including introducing legislative amendments that foster trade, and fostering collaboration between the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy and UNCITRAL to strengthen exchanges and talent training.

Secretary of UNCITRAL Anna Joubin-Bret thanked the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for its continuous support for UNCITRAL's work.

At the conference, Secretary-General of the International Organization for Mediation Prof Teresa Cheng delivered a keynote speech on the contribution of Hong Kong towards advancing the rule of law in international trade and commerce.

Across four panel discussion sessions, experts with extensive knowledge of international trade discussed UNCITRAL's current initiatives and the future development of international trade.

Delivering closing remarks, Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan said that the insights shared by experts from the judicial, legal and public policy sectors during the panel discussions reflect UNCITRAL's enduring contribution to the international transport of goods. He stressed that international co-operation is the bedrock of promoting a seamless global trading system.

Mr Cheung added that, looking forward, different parties should embrace digitalisation and promote legal harmonisation together.

The three-day Hong Kong LawTech Fest also began today. The LawTech Forum, the festival's highlight event, will be held tomorrow. Click here for details.