Dear our Colleagues, Partners, and Friends,
2025 was another year of change and uncertainty for the global economy. Geopolitical tensions, inflationary pressures, shifting supply chains, and changing trade and investment patterns have all made cross-border commerce harder to predict. At the same time, digital transformation and the green transition have moved from trends to realities - reshaping how economies function, how enterprises run, and how businesses connect global market. For Vietnam – an economy that is both open and increasingly integrated – these shifts have made building resilience and adaptation more important than ever, while also creating new opportunities to improve the investment climate and sustain growth.
The pressures have pushed businesses to adapt faster, manage transactions more effectively, and take legal risks more seriously. Within this landscape, choosing the right dispute resolution mechanism has become a genuine part of how companies are run – not an afterthought. More broadly, arbitration and ADR institutions are no longer seen simply as places to resolve disputes after they arise. They are now recognised as part of a healthy legal environment. For its part, VIAC sees its role not only as a trusted forum for resolving dispute, but as an institution that contributes to legal certainty, investor confidence, and a better business environment in Vietnam and in the region.
Looking ahead to 2026, VIAC will continue to place priority on strengthening its internal governance framework, refining arbitral procedures, and advancing digital transformation through the VIAC.eCase system. Simultaneously, VIAC will further grow its domestic and international partnerships, exchange knowledge with peers, promote international best practices in the field, and invest more to long-term initiatives that helps Vietnam’s arbitration and ADR ecosystem. These priorities reflect where we stand - as Vietnam’s leading arbitral institution – and where we want to go: to be a distinctive & well-regarded dispute resolution institution across the region.
As we mark VIAC’s 33rd anniversary, I want to express my genuine appreciation to those who have been part of this journey – our Arbitrators, Mediators, domestic and international partners, and above all our staff, whose dedication and hard work have made all our achievements possible. With more than three decades behind us, VIAC steps into the next chapter with confidence and a clear sense of purpose. We will keep working to make dispute resolution fair, efficient, transparent, and effective and to be a reliable partner for the business community as we move forward that is more connected and with full of possibility.
Respectfully,
PROF. DR. LE HONG HANH
President of Vietnam International Arbitration Centre (VIAC)
🔴 VIAC'S HIGHLIGHTS OF 2025
*The Letter is excerpted from VIAC’s 2025 Annual Report. The full version is available here
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