VIAC welcomed and had a working session with the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA)

On the morning of September 29, 2026, in Ho Chi Minh City, the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre (VIAC) welcomed and held a working session with a delegation of lawyers from the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA). The meeting took place as a sideline event of the IPBA 2026 Mid-Year Council Meeting and Regional Conference held in Vietnam.

Attending the meeting on behalf of VIAC were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Duy Nghia – Vice President of VIAC; Mr. Chau Viet Bac – Deputy Director of the VIAC Ho Chi Minh City Branch; Ms. Hoang Nguyen Ha Quyen – Deputy Director of the Vietnam Mediation Centre (VMC) under VIAC, together with representatives of VIAC’s Listed Arbitrators, VIAC’s managers and officers. The IPBA delegation included Mr. Michael Chu – Immediate Past President of IPBA; Mr. Wang Zhengzhi – At-Large Council Member of IPBA for China; and Ms. Hoang Thi Ngoc Diep – Jurisdictional Council Member of IPBA for Vietnam and around 20 member lawyers of the IPBA.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Duy Nghia – Vice President of the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre (VIAC)

In the welcoming remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Duy Nghia – Vice President of the Vietnam International Arbitration Centre (VIAC) congratulated IPBA on the successful organisation of its 2026 Mid-Year Council Meeting and Regional Conference in Ho Chi Minh City from September 26 to 28. He highly appreciated the initiative of the IPBA representative in Vietnam in facilitating the meeting, which provided an opportunity for the two organizations to gain a better understanding of each other, explore opportunities for further connection, and exchange views on arbitration and issues of mutual interest in the practice of dispute resolution

Drawing on VIAC's practice, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Duy Nghia also highlighted several points. Having received and administered nearly 4,000 disputes involving parties from many countries and territories, the Centre's work is increasingly linked to transactions and disputes with international elements. The growth of investment, trade and cross-border transactions in Vietnam provides the basis for VIAC to strengthen its engagement with the international legal community and professional associations. Through this engagement, VIAC gains further practical perspectives from practitioners and improves its accessibility to international disputing parties.

The international character and procedural flexibility of VIAC are also reflected in its multinational list of arbitrators and the capacity to resolve disputes involving foreign elements, in which parties may choose the arbitrators and the governing law suited to their case. Building on this momentum, the newly released VIAC Rules of Arbitration 2026 were developed to further refine arbitral procedures and align more closely with international standards and practices, thereby better meeting the needs of parties in disputes involving foreign elements.

Mr. Michael Chu – Former President of the Inter-Pacific Bar Association (IPBA)

On behalf of the Association, Mr. Michael Chu – Immediate Past President of the IPBA shared his impressions of the development of arbitration in Asia. Based on his research and visits to arbitration centres in several countries, he observed that the increasingly prominent role of arbitration among dispute resolution mechanisms is a sign of the development and maturity of a legal system.

Over its 35-year history, IPBA has brought together business and commercial lawyers who are based in, or have an interest in, the Asia-Pacific region. In line with the development of arbitration in the region, IPBA has placed growing emphasis on dispute resolution and arbitration, as reflected in the development of its Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Committee. Mr. Michael Chu also noted that the development of VIAC, as presented by its leadership, left a strong impression on him, particularly as this visit gave him the opportunity to learn more about the Centre.

Mr. Wang Zhengzhi – At-Large Council Member of IPBA for China

Continuing the discussion, Mr. Wang Zhengzhi – At-Large Council Member of IPBA for China shared observations on arbitration practice from his perspective of supporting IPBA member lawyers in China. Although trade relations between the two countries have been long-standing and stable, the number of disputes referred to arbitration remains modest relative to the scale of bilateral trade. In his view, this may stem from several factors in the choice of dispute resolution mechanisms, including the parties' limited familiarity with arbitration, which leads them not to opt for arbitration clauses

Following the recent signing of MoUs between VIAC and the China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Guangxi Committee (CCPIT Guangxi) within the framework of China Arbitration Week 2026, he put forward several proposals to implement concrete arbitration cooperation between the two countries. The initiatives focus on facilitating access to and use of arbitration, strengthening connections between practitioners and experts of both countries, and gradually building a foundation for cooperation and a pool of young arbitration professionals, which representatives of both sides considered promising

Gifts exchange between the two organisations

The meeting concluded with further exchanges between the two sides on arbitral proceedings at VIAC, opportunities for international lawyers and experts to participate in dispute resolution at VIAC, and possible areas of cooperation to strengthen the connection between VIAC and IPBA's international network of lawyers.

The decision to hold the IPBA 2026 Mid-Year Council Meeting and Regional Conference in Vietnam also reflects the country’s potential and the growing attention it receives as international arbitration increasingly shifts towards Asia. The dynamic growth of Vietnam's economy, trade and investment, together with increasingly diverse demand for cross-border dispute resolution, is opening opportunities for Vietnam to strengthen its connections with the international arbitration and legal communities. This also gives VIAC room to further expand its cooperation network and bring alternative dispute resolution mechanisms closer to businesses investing in Vietnam

Several photos of the meeting