The Year In Review 2025

2025 has been a year of strong momentum for ABLI.

Building on the work done in 2024, we deepened our thought leadership and policy engagement in the data and digital economy space. Our continued collaboration with public agencies across the region on high-profile initiatives has enabled us to engage a wider range of stakeholders in Singapore and beyond.

In March, we published Public Authority Access to Personal Data in Select ASEAN Jurisdictions, a publication delivered under an ASEAN project we are excited to see through in early 2026 (stay tuned for more updates on this project). The publication is believed to be the first to examine the legal frameworks governing public authority access to personal data in six jurisdictions in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Later in September, our Singapore-China Joint Data Compliance Guide – Practical Handbook (Guide), jointly produced with the Shenzhen Data Exchange, was released at the second Singapore-China Digital Policy Dialogue. The Guide received coverage in print and TV reporting and was later referenced at the 21st Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation, the apex platform for government-to-government cooperation between Singapore and China.

At the same time, private sector stakeholders remain close to our hearts. In July, we published Intra-group Agreement for Cross-Border Transfers of Personal Data within ASEAN, a customisable, ready-to-use template designed to facilitate intra-group cross-border data transfers within ASEAN. The template focuses on supporting centralised business functions and is intended to be particularly useful for small and medium-sized enterprises operating across the region

All these publications are made available for free consumption.

In addition to our staple line-up of webinars on data protection and dispute resolution which continued to be well-received, ABLI’s track record has translated into greater convening power and more speaking opportunities in 2025.

In July, we jointly held a close-door, invite-only forum on artificial intelligence development and security in Singapore and China with the Cyber Security Association of China (中国网络空间安全协会), and in September, we convened a closed-door fireside chat with John Edwards, Commissioner of the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.

In August, we participated in a webinar jointly organized by Singapore’s Ministry of Law and UK’s Ministry of Justice where we discussed property law treatment of cryptoassets in selected Asian jurisdictions. The discussion drew on our Cryptoassets and Law in Asia series of publications and was attended by over 120 legal professionals from Singapore’s civil service and public sector.

In November, ABLI presented a paper titled Judicial Cooperation in Cross-Border Insolvency Challenges and Opportunities in (Southeast) Asia at the inaugural Restructuring & Insolvency Academic Forum 2025. The paper will be published in 2026.

Thank you

At ABLI, we sincerely thank all the people, of which there are too many, who generously volunteered their expertise, time and effort to assist us in making the above achievements possible. We could not have done it without each and every one of you.