57th Congress

Dear colleagues, dear friends,

The UIA invites you on a wonderful journey next year: we will be heading to Macau and you will not want to miss this congress which promises to be exceptional in many ways.

Our congress will be taking place in China for the very first time! This is not a bit surprising since we all know that the world’s centre of gravity is slowly shifting to Asia in the 21^st century.

Macau, administered by Portugal for over 400 years, reverted to being part of China on December 20, 1999, but the Portuguese influence has remained.

Both Cantonese and Portuguese are thus spoken there, and the legal and judicial system based on the Portuguese model falls within the civil or continental law system.

The Macau peninsula, a territory made up of two islands, gathers a population of over half a million inhabitants, with a higher density than those of Monaco and Singapore.

The economy is based on textiles, the production of fireworks, toys and electronics; however Macau has become the main global centre of the gaming industry, on the same level as Las Vegas since 2005, thanks to the gambling sector and tourism.

Around 30 million tourists choose Macao as a travel destination. You will belong to those coming to discover the unique character of Macao, combining Chinese and Portuguese cultures, such as the A-Ma temple, the Macau Tower, the Nobre de Carvalho bridge and numerous historical sites registered as Unesco World Heritage Sites since 2005.

You will also discover a friendly and welcoming population: Chinese, Portuguese and those combining both ancestries whom we call the Macanese people.

But above all you will come to meet UIA colleagues, regular congress participants or newcomers, and to work on the topic: "Corruption and the lawyer"

Each UIA congress is a key event; in a rapidly changing world the Macau congress promises to be a major meeting to exchange ideas on the state of the world and our profession, to meet old friends and make new ones, and to leave with wonderful memories.

In addition, late October is the best season of the year and you will be able to organize a trip to Hong Kong or mainland China before or after the congress.

Along with the UIA team, I look forward to welcoming you all, enthusiastic and numerous, in Macau in October 2013.

Jean-Marie BURGUBURU

UIA President

Dear colleagues, dear friends,

For the first time in its history the UIA is organizing its annual congress in China. This represents not only a shift in geographical longitude, but also recognition of the importance of the East and the Far East in today’s world.

Since December 20, 1999, Macau has been a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China with a high degree of autonomy, which translates into Macau's enjoying its own executive, legislative and judicial powers, its own customs, government departments under its own Executive and its own currency – the Pataca (MOP) – while its defense and foreign affairs are handled by the Central Government.

Macau is located within the Pearl River Delta, 60 km from Hong Kong and 110 km from Guangzhou. The industrial importance of Guangdong, together with the large waterborne traffic served by the harbors of Macau and Hong Kong, makes this one of the most dynamic commercial zones in the world.

With the liberalization of the gaming industry since 2002, Macau enjoys unprecedented economic development. Gaming, together with tourism, leisure and services, are the economic activities which contribute the most to its economy. Thanks to this dynamic, Macau currently has practically no unemployment (2 % in September 2012), not any big social gap between rich and poor. The GDP per inhabitant is around USD66.000.

Member of the UIA since 1996, the Macau Lawyers Association (AAM), Professional Public Association by the 1991 law, regulates discipline and the profession. Although Macau is a Special Administrative Region, its lawyers’ organizations are totally independent.

The congress in Macau is thus a unique opportunity to meet with lawyers from all over the Far East.

Welcome to Macau!

Jorge NETO VALENTE

President of the 2013 congress