According to a dispatch of the Chief Executive, the current Legislative Affairs Office is to be renamed as International Law Affairs Office, effective from 12 June 2001.

Secretary for Administration and Justice, Florinda Chan, who supervises the office, said today that the task of the Legislative Affairs Office was focused on the extension of international law to Macau and the related affairs after the establishment of the Macau SAR, while part of the office's task was taken over by the Judicial Affairs Bureau which was established in November of last year.

The International Law Affairs Office, as the former Legislative Affairs Office will operate as a task force and the term is due the end of 2002.

Ms. Chan noted that the term of the International Law Affairs Office was extended for more than one year since there are currently over 100 international agreements and covenants to be handled.

According to the dispatch, the tasks of the International Law Affairs Office are:

To provide juridical assistance during negotiation, conclusion of international law documents and during their implementation to the Macau SAR/;

To make preparations and to provide supporting information for the Macau SAR to participate in important judicial related affairs or meetings concerning multilateral, international or regional organizations, and for the SAR to promote or to ensure its participation in these meetings and affairs/;

To facilitate, to draft or to coordinate the drafting of reports to international organizations, to answer their questions related to judicial affairs and to provide such information upon their requests/;

To coordinate the implementation of agreements concerning judicial cooperation between Macau SAR and other regions, especially with the European Union/;

The office will also assist other departments of the SAR Government in drafting of law.