According to the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law has decided to establish an Asia Pacific Liaison Office in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China at its 85th session. The office is expected to enter the Hong Kong legal hub in the second half of 2026 as part of the centennial celebration of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law. The spokesperson of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government said that with the unwavering support of the Central People's Government, the Department of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government has submitted a proposal to the Secretariat of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law to establish an office. In May of this year, the Council of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law expressed support and suggested submitting it to the 85th session of the General Assembly on December 11th for a decision. The decision of the General Assembly of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law to accept this proposal marks the first time in the association's century long history that a regional office has been established outside of its headquarters in Rome. The spokesperson stated that the establishment of the first overseas office of the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is an important milestone in the development of Hong Kong's legal hub. It not only demonstrates the sustained trust of the international community in the legal system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, but also consolidates the leading position of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as an international legal hub. This office will establish a solid physical presence for the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law in the Asia Pacific region to more efficiently support its regional work. This move will help promote the coordination and synergy of the "Three Sisters of International Private Law", namely the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law, the Hague Conference on International Private Law, and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, at the Hong Kong legal hub. At present, the Asia Pacific Regional Office of the Hague Conference on Private International Law and the Office of Cooperation between the Department of Justice and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law are also located in Hong Kong. The spokesperson said that the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law is an independent intergovernmental organization headquartered in Rome, currently with 65 member countries from five continents. The purpose of this organization is to study the needs and methods for modernizing, coordinating, and unifying private law, with a particular emphasis on commercial law, among countries and groups of countries, and to develop unified legal documents, principles, and rules to achieve the above goals. (New Society)