The General Assembly of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT), a global legal body focused on harmonizing private law, has chosen Hong Kong as the base for its Asia-Pacific outreach.

"The decision to set up the Asia-Pacific Liaison Office is a very important move to enhance the level of our cooperation, which is of critical importance in enhancing Hong Kong's status as an international legal service center," said Paul Lam, secretary of justice of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The office is expected to open in the second half of 2026, and it will be UNIDROIT's first regional office outside Rome since it was founded a century ago.