On Tuesday, 24 June 2025, the Constitutional Court of the Kingdom of Thailand, in its capacity as President of the Association of Asian Constitutional Courts and Equivalent Institutions (AACC), hosted the AACC Board of Members Meeting (BoMM) at the Siam Kempinski Hotel in Bangkok. The meeting was attended in person by member countries including the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Türkiye, and the Republic of Uzbekistan, while other AACC member countries participated virtually. In conjunction with the BoMM, a Public Lecture was held under the theme “The Courts and the Protection of Human Rights.”

The meeting began with a presentation from the Constitutional Court of the Kingdom of Thailand, outlining key activities and major initiatives undertaken during its tenure as President of the AACC for the 2023–2025 term. This was followed by progress reports from the AACC Secretariats, namely: the Permanent Secretariat for Planning and Coordination (SPC), the Secretariat for Research and Development (SRD), and the Center for Training and Human Resources Development (CTHRD). Each Secretariat presented its performance report to the AACC President and all attending members, highlighting key achievements and providing updates on the main programs currently being implemented in support of the AACC’s shared objectives.

Board of Members Meeting

During this meeting, members officially approved the Federal Supreme Court of Iraq as a new member of the AACC and extended an invitation for it to participate in the 7th AACC Congress, which will be hosted by Uzbekistan between 2025 and 2027. Earlier, the Permanent Secretariat for Planning and Coordination (SPC) of the AACC had reported that the membership proposal had been officially submitted by the Chief Justice of Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court, Hon. Jassim Mohammed Abboud, on December 4, 2024. In the lead-up to the BoMM, the Permanent Secretariat had received official responses from 17 AACC member countries regarding Iraq’s application.

The Constitutional Court of Thailand expressed its strong support for Iraq’s inclusion, noting that the decision would enhance AACC's global visibility and institutional development, as well as strengthen bilateral relations between Thailand and Iraq. According to Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Republic of Iraq is currently considering reopening its embassy in Thailand—a move that could also contribute to Thailand’s energy diversification strategies in response to current global challenges.

Uzbekistan Leads AACC

In addition to the expansion of membership, the BoMM also marked the transfer of AACC leadership from the Constitutional Court of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Uzbekistan. The meeting further discussed AACC’s preparations for participating in the 6th Congress of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice (WCCJ), which will take place from 28 to 30 October 2025 in Madrid, Spain.