15 August 2019
The Singapore Mediation Convention: thoughts from the front line
- The Singapore Convention on Mediation opened for signature on 7 August 2019. In this interview we discuss the Convention with Directors of the Singapore Ministry of Law—Natalie Morris-Sharma, (International Legal) and Sharon Ong (Policy Advisory). They provide their thoughts on the breadth of the Convention, its impact on Singapore as an international dispute resolution centre, and the wider implications for cross border disputes.
Will the Convention meet the needs of all countries or just those with an advanced mediation system?
A large number of countries were represented at the signing ceremony with 46 countries signing the Convention. This includes the two biggest economic states of the United States and China. There are a number of other countries that stated their interest although it will be necessary to ensure that they have completed their relevant domestic processes and that their paperwork is verified by the United Nations before those countries will be able sign the convention.
The Convention is a carefully negotiated and well drafted instrument. It is straight forward and designed
