The Minister of Justice, Sérgio de Jesus Fernandes da Costa Hornai, participated in the 13th ASEAN Law Ministers Meeting (ALAWMM) held in Manila, Philippines, on November 14th to 15th , 2025. The opening ceremony was presided over by the President of the Republic of the Philippines, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and attended by the Secretary-General of ASEAN, Kao Kim Hourn.
This was Timor-Leste’s first participation in ALAWMM as a full Member State, following the country’s official admission to ASEAN, formalized at the 47th Summit held in October 2025 in Kuala Lumpur. 
During the meeting, the Ministers of Justice of the 11 Member States signed the ASEAN Extradition Treaty (AET), which establishes a unified legal framework for extradition procedures in the region, to strengthen cooperation in preventing and combating cross-border crime. 
Minister Sérgio Hornai also participated in the first ASEAN + Japan meeting on justice on November 15th, 2025, dedicated to monitoring the ASEAN-Japan Work Plan on Law and Justice and strengthening technical and institutional cooperation.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the Minister also held a bilateral meeting with Singapore’s Minister for Law and Second Minister for Home Affairs, Edwin Tong, focusing on deepening legal cooperation and exchanging experiences between the two countries. 
ALAWMM, established in 1986, is ASEAN’s main forum for legal cooperation, meeting every two years to review progress, coordinate joint initiatives, and strengthen the role of legal institutions in the region. END