Suhong Yang spoke at the 120th American Society of International Law Annual Meeting and elected Co-Chair of the Asia Pacific Interest Group

From 22 to 25 April 2026, the American Society of International Law (“ASIL”) convened its 120th Annual Meeting with the theme, “Advancing and Defending the Rule of Law” in Washington D.C.

Suhong Yang was invited to speak on the panel “International Criminal Justice in the Contemporary Asia-Pacific Region” with co-panelists Emma Palmer (Griffith University) and Azadah Raz Mohammad (Melbourne Law School), which was moderated by David Luban (Georgetown University Law Center). The panel discussed the following issues: situations under investigation by the International Criminal Court (“ICC”) in the Asia-Pacific Region, such as the Philippines and Myanmar; mechanisms for international criminal justice in addition to the ICC, including domestic prosecutions, universal jurisdiction, and hybrid tribunals in the Asia-Pacific Region; and initiatives and efforts concerning Afghanistan at international and domestic levels, including the UN-mandated investigative mechanisms for Afghanistan, the ICC arrest warrants, gender apartheid and the draft convention on crimes against humanity, and the People’s Tribunal for Women of Afghanistan. Suhong focused on mechanisms other than the ICC, addressing hybrid courts in East Timor and Cambodia, the International Crimes Tribunal (Bangladesh), and future possibilities for tackling human trafficking in East and Southeast Asia. The panelists also actively engaged with audiences for various questions. This panel was well attended and received lots of good comments. A recording of the panel can be watched online. Last year in September, Suhong and Professor Simon Young organized a successful two-day workshop on the topic of this panel at HKU.

In addition, at the time of the 2026 ASIL Annual Meeting, Suhong got elected as Co-Chair of the ASIL Asia Pacific Interest Group for a three-year term. She looks forward to serving the members and fostering conversations on diverse topics regarding international law and the Asia-Pacific Region. Meanwhile, Suhong’s three-year term as Secretary of the ASIL Women in International Law Interest Group came to an end. Suhong will continue to serve as a member of the Steering Committee and contribute to enhance the role and careers of women in the field of international law.

ASIL is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, educational membership organization founded in 1906 to foster the study of international law and to promote the establishment and maintenance of international relations on the basis of law and justice. The Society’s members are from more than 100 nations. ASIL advances international law scholarship and education for international law professionals as well as for broader policymaking audiences and the public. ASIL holds Special Consultative Status to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations and is a constituent society of the American Council of Learned Societies.

ASIL’s Asia Pacific Interest Group brings together lawyers, scholars and others interested in the topic to inform each other of developments relating to international law and international relations in this vast and important region. Topics include such diverse areas as gender discrimination, sovereignty and the state, Taiwan-Mainland relations, Hong Kong’s political future, islands in the Pacific, human rights, intellectual property, the impacts of Western countries, and many more. Among our faculty, Professor Weixia Gu was a Co-Chair of the Asia Pacific Interest Group from 2018 to 2021.

Suhong Yang on The International Organization for Mediation in Hong Kong: A New Chapter in Global Dispute Resolution? (The AsianSIL Voices)

"The International Organization for Mediation in Hong Kong: A New Chapter in Global Dispute Resolution?"
Suhong Yang
AsianSIL Voices
Published online: October 2025

Introduction: Mediation is an important means, for peaceful settlement of international disputes, which is stipulated in various treaties including the UN Charter. The nature of the mediating process promotes the preservation of relationships between the parties and aims to achieve win-win results rather than an adversarial approach where one side must win and the other must lose. On 30 May 2025, the signing ceremony of the Convention on the Establishment of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed, IOMed Convention, respectively) was held in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China after two to three years of preparatory work, during which 33 countries, mostly from Africa, Asia, and Latin-America, signed the IOMed Convention. The Convention entered into force on 29 August 2025, following ratification by China, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. The IOMed became operational on 20 October 2025. Presently, the total number of signatory countries has reached 37. 

The IOMed is the first intergovernmental organization dedicated to resolving international disputes through mediation. It is also the first international organization headquartered in Hong Kong, a development which has the potential to raise the international profile of Hong Kong as a “capital” for mediation in the world, and strengthen the role of Hong Kong as a hub for international dispute settlement, building on its strong foundation in international arbitration.

This blog highlights the potential of IOMed in global dispute resolution, and reflects on critical perspectives to offer constructive suggestions.

(Please click here to view the full article on AsianSIL Voices.)

International Criminal Justice in the Contemporary Asia-Pacific Region

    The University of Hong Kong (HKU)’s Faculty of Law and Centre for Comparative and Public Law (CCPL) held a workshop entitled “International Criminal Justice in the Contemporary Asia-Pacific Region” on 12 and 13 September 2025. The Workshop was conceived and overseen by Dr Suhong Yang and Professor Simon Young. As a key activity celebrating the 30th anniversary of CCPL, it was organised with the support of the Hong Kong International Legal Talents Training Academy (HKILTTA). After the welcome remarks by Professor Young and HKILTTA Director Dr Ling Yang, Judge Daqun Liu (China, UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals), Judge Raul Cano Pangalangan (Philippines, International Criminal Court (ICC)), and Judge Chang-ho Chung (South Korea, ICC) delivered their keynote speeches. The workshop featured prominent scholars and practitioners across Asia, Australia, Europe, and America, including Judge Nina HB Jørgensen (Norway, Kosovo Specialist Chambers), Judge Margaret M deGuzman (United States, UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals), Dr James Ding (HKSAR Department of Justice), Professor Sarah Williams (University of New South Wales), and many more. The High Court of Hong Kong also hosted a visit for the workshop participants, during which participants observed part of a criminal jury trial.

    The event was a great success with brilliant papers presented by speakers and insightful comments from assigned discussants. The workshop included six panels, addressing the following areas: domestic prosecutions and universal jurisdiction, ICC and Asia Pacific States, perspectives in China and Hong Kong SAR, hybrid courts and alternative justice, international criminal justice and public international law, and responsibilities and punishment. A detailed programme can be found here. The organisers and participants plan to publish the papers in an edited collection by a leading international publisher. This workshop not only advances the research on international criminal justice and the Asia-Pacific Region, but also serves to reinforce Hong Kong’s profile as an international legal hub.

Suhong Yang and Shuai Guo on Selection process of judges and members at international courts and tribunals: in search of efficient transparency (JIDS)

"Selection process of judges and members at international courts and tribunals: in search of efficient transparency"
Suhong Yang (Global Academic Fellow), Shuai Guo
Journal of International Dispute Settlement, Volume 16, Issue 3, September 2025
Published online: August 2025

Abstract: Public attention has focused a lot on who the international judges are; however, the transparency of the selection process for judges and members at international courts and tribunals has been of less discussion. Transparency calls for more openness in the stages of nominating, selecting, and appointing judges or members, which in turn opens the door to public oversight of the process and may contribute to a better guarantee of the competence of judges and members. To improve the transparency of the judge selection process, this article comprises a comparative study of the judge selection process at the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body, and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. It suggests an account of efficient transparency, which aims to achieve transparency with efficiency and align with the goals of these courts and tribunals.

Suhong Yang on Legitimacy of International and Hybrid Criminal Tribunals: Political, Normative, Economic, and Sociological Perspectives (Denver Journal of International Law & Policy)

"Legitimacy of International and Hybrid Criminal Tribunals: Political, Normative, Economic, and Sociological Perspectives"
Suhong Yang (Global Academic Fellow)
Denver Journal of International Law & Policy, Issue 53:1, pp. 1 - 50
Published in March 2025

Abstract: This article examines the legitimacy of international and hybrid criminal tribunals that try atrocities crimes in post-conflict situations. It addresses legitimacy from political, normative, economic, and sociological perspectives. Political legitimacy focuses on the creation of authority. Normative legitimacy emphasizes the criteria for justifications, considering justice, independence, fairness, legality, and effectiveness as metrics. Economic legitimacy explores the cost, i.e., time and money, to address cases, as delayed or expensive justice suffers. Sociological legitimacy reflects the acceptance of the institution by the public, focusing on audiences’ perceptions of legitimacy. Multi-layered audiences make determinations about an institution’s legitimacy based on their cognitions, which may relate to their culture, identity, and knowledge. Eventually, the least legitimacy requirement asks for (1) a proper authority of creation, (2) well-defined justice the court pursues,  (3) process with fairness, (4) independent, unbiased, and competent adjudicators, and (5) a certain degree of public trust especially among the affected populations.

Welcome the new Global Academic Fellow Dr Suhong Yang!

Welcome to Dr Suhong Yang who joined the Faculty of Law as a Global Academic Fellow. Dr. Suhong Yang is an international lawyer interested in criminal law, human rights, and environmental law issues. Her S.J.D. dissertation investigates the legitimacy of international and hybrid criminal tribunals that try atrocity crimes in post-conflict situations. Suhong was awarded as a David D. Caron Fellow and a Salzburg Cutler Fellow for her research. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in the Chinese Journal of International Law, Denver Journal of International Law & Policy, European Papers, George Mason International Law Journal, International Legal Materials, and Proceedings of the ASIL Annual Meeting.

At the HKU Faculty of Law, Suhong is engaged in teaching activities and assisting the Director of the Centre for Comparative and Public Law in research-related activities. Prior to joining the HKU, Suhong was a Judicial Fellow at the International Court of Justice, working with Judge H.E. XUE Hanqin. She also served the Office of the President of the U.N. International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, and the Legal Policy Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Suhong holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Renmin University of China, and LL.M. and S.J.D. degrees from Georgetown University Law Center. In addition to the academic degrees, she also studied at the University of Oxford, Kathmandu School of Law, and Cheng-Chi University (Taiwan) in different capacities. Suhong has facilitated teaching or been invited to give guest lectures on tort law, international law, US law, and Chinese law at Georgetown University, Leiden University, and Renmin University.

Suhong is currently Vice-Chair of the International Criminal Law Interest Group of the American Society of International Law (ASIL), and Secretary of ASIL Women in International Law Interest Group. She served as Co-Chair of ASIL New Professionals Interest Group from 2019 to 2023.