Edwin Tong Outlined Work Needed To Take Singapore Convention Forward

06 AUG 2019

6 Aug 2019 Posted in Press releases

  1. “With the introduction of the Singapore Convention on Mediation, the development of international commercial mediation will take off, but more work will be needed for international commercial mediation to be as widely used as a dispute resolution option for high-value cross-border transactions as litigation and arbitration,” said Mr Edwin Tong, SC, Singapore Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Law and Ministry of Health, on the eve of the signing of the Singapore Convention on Mediation in Singapore. More than 30 countries are expected to sign the Singapore Convention on Mediation on 7 August 2019.

  2. Speaking at the Mediation: A New Era Forum, Mr Tong outlined three areas of work needed to take the Singapore Convention forward: first, having countries which have signed ratify early and having more countries sign the Convention; second, having businesses use mediation for high-value cross-border commercial disputes and third; growing the pool of mediation institutions and practitioners capable of handling international commercial mediation and advising parties on its use. The Singapore Convention on Mediation needs three countries to sign and ratify to come into force. Mr Tong said that Singapore will be submitting a Bill to Parliament and working towards ratification by early next year.

  3. At the Forum, the Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) signed two Memoranda of Understanding, with the China International Economic & Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) and the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board (KCAB) International respectively, to jointly promote international commercial mediation and train mediators. Mr Tong said that these MOUs are strong examples of how Singapore has been promoting cross-border collaborations and working closely with our international partners to raise the quality of mediators and promote the wider adoption of mediation globally.

  4. The SIMC-CIETAC MOU was signed by Mr George Lim SC, Chairman of SIMC and Mr Wang Chengjie, Secretary-General of CIETAC, and witnessed by Ms Gloria Lim, Director (Legal Industry Division) at the Ministry of Law and Ms Zhong Manying, Minister-Counsellor (Economic & Commercial Office) at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Singapore. The SIMC-KCAB MOU was signed by Mr George Lim SC and Prof Hi-Taek Shin, Chairman of KCAB.

  5. The MANE Forum is organised by the Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy (SIDRA), the SIMC, the Singapore International Mediation Institute (SIMI) and the Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC). Speakers include Dr Noeleen Heyzer, former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mrs Anna Joubin-Bret, Secretary of UNCITRAL, and Mr Rimsky Yuen, Former Secretary for Justice of Hong Kong. They shared their views on the future of international commercial mediation after the Singapore Convention.

  6. The MANE Forum is part of the Singapore Convention Week from 2 to 8 August 2019 – a week-long series of activities for government officials, legal practitioners, in-house counsel, business executives, academics and students from around the world, to discuss the latest developments in dispute resolution. Over 1,500 delegates will be attending the Singapore Convention Signing Ceremony and Conference and related events during the Singapore Convention Week.

Last updated on 06 Aug 2019