Speech by Mr Murali Pillai SC, Minister of State, Ministry of Law and Ministry of Transport, at the Singapore International Mediation Institute’s 10th Anniversary Celebration

08 NOV 2024

Professor Joel Lee, Chairman of the Singapore International Mediation Institute (SIMI)

SIMI Board Members

Editors and authors of Volume 9 of the Contemporary Issues in Mediation (CIIM)

Friends, colleagues

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Introduction

  1. A very good afternoon to you. Let me acknowledge Alvin’s thoughtful message. Thank you very much Alvin, for delivering such a thoughtful message in identifying the milestones that you have reached over the past 10 years and also the good that you bring as an institution to our community.
  1. I am delighted to join you here, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of SIMI, and to launch CIIM Volume 9.

Development of International Mediation in Singapore

  1. SIMI was officially launched 10 years ago, following the recommendation of the International Commercial Mediation Working Group. I understand that some of the Working Group members are here with us today, and that includes Professor Joel Lee and his wife, Ms Josephine Hadikusomo, and Mr Lok Vi Ming SC. Joel and Josephine, as you know, went on to serve on the SIMI Board. I am sure they will be able to share the behind-the-scene deliberations with you later.
  1. For me, I will share from the Government’s perspective. If you recall, at that time, we had developed our international arbitration, to be amongst the best in the world. Singapore was then ranked as one of the top five most preferred seats of arbitration, and the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) was ranked as one of the top five most preferred arbitral institutions in the world.
  1. We saw an opportunity to leverage our strengths that made us an international arbitration hub, and also to develop our international mediation services, and international commercial court. The objectives are two-fold:

(a) One, to grow our dispute resolution sector in and of itself.

(b) And two, to support businesses doing cross-border work in Singapore, and beyond.

  1. We recognise that some businesses may prefer arbitration, while others may prefer mediation or litigation, depending on the nature of the dispute the sum in dispute, as well as other factors such as strategy, and so on. That is why we always say that “ADR” does not stand for “Alternative Dispute Resolution”. It stands for “Appropriate Dispute Resolution”.
  1. We therefore established SIMI and the Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) in November 2014, and the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC) in January 2015, to realise our goals.
  1. As we all know, international mediation received a boost in Singapore and internationally, when the UN Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (also known as the “Singapore Convention on Mediation”) opened for signature in Singapore in 2019, and entered into force a year later.
  1. Singapore’s mediation institutions, including SIMI, were very much a part of our journey to that historic moment.

SIMI’s 10th Anniversary

  1. Over the last 10 years, SIMI has played an important role in Singapore’s mediation landscape, and we are thankful for all the contributions that SIMI has made.
  1. On this note, I would like to extend my appreciation and gratitude to all those who have supported SIMI in one way or another.

(a) First and foremost, I wish to thank Professor Joel Lee, who has dedicated so much of his personal time, to share his immense experience with SIMI, and to guide SIMI. I took the opportunity to tour the book stalls earlier. All nine volumes of Professor Joel Lee's books are there. He made the point to highlight to me that they are written in collaboration with partners, with students as well and it is such a boost for them that they can have this opportunity to work with you, Joel.

(b) I would also like to thank the Board members, in particular, Ms Josephine Hadikusumo and Professor Nadja Alexander, who have been Board members since SIMI was first set up.

(c) I must not forget Ms Irena Vanenkova, who although did not join from the start, joined just a few months later in June 2015.

(d) I would also like to thank SIMI’s accredited mediators, training service providers and partners, who have contributed to SIMI’s growth.

(e) Finally, the staff of SIMI, past and present, for doing much despite being a lean team.

  1. All of you have helped to contribute to the development of Singapore’s mediation sector, by believing in the benefits of mediation, advocating for the benefits of mediation, and raising the standards of mediation.

Refreshed Accreditation Renewal Process and Launch of CIIM Volume 9

  1. In celebration of its 10th anniversary, SIMI is renewing its accreditation renewal process for mediators to emphasise the importance of continuing professional development. The new regime aims to uphold high standards of practice, reinforce the quality mark of SIMI mediators, and foster trust in mediation as a preferred dispute resolution method.
  1. Another way in which SIMI is contributing to the development of mediation is through CIIM.
  1. Launched in 2016, CIIM is a collection of winning thought leadership essays on mediation written by tertiary students for the CIIM Research Essay Competition. It aims to develop greater interest in mediation by encouraging students, who are our next generation of practitioners to think more deeply about mediation issues, and providing them with a platform to have their works published.
  1. The 10 articles in CIIM Volume 9 cover some interesting and important aspects of mediation, and this includes:

(a) Mediation in Addressing Human Rights Violations in Asia;

(b) The Hidden Potential of Game Theory in Mediation; and very pertinently,

(c) The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Assisting Mediators.

  1. I should not divulge too much here, and will let you discover more on your own as you read the book.
  1. This initiative highlights SIMI’s continued commitment to advancing the field of mediation, providing valuable insights, and fostering meaningful discourse.
  1. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the winners of this CIIM Research Essay Competition.

(a) Congratulations to Joy Tan and Jeriel Teo, who won the 1st and 2nd prize respectively! I think Joy is unable to make it today but I hope to see her on another occasion.

(b) I would also like to congratulate all the other authors whose essays are featured in this volume.

(c) And of course, special thanks to the editors - Professor Joel Lee and Mr Marcus Lim – for reviewing the essays.

(d) Thank you for your time and effort on this project.

  1. Every volume of CIIM adds to the body of literature on mediation, and helps to advance Singapore’s thought leadership in this area.
  1. If we consider our objectives on why Singapore is developing our international mediation services, I think we have made progress, because of the work that all the mediation practitioners here have done.
  1. I hope, to be able to continue counting on all of you for your support in building a vibrant and sustainable mediation ecosystem in Singapore.

Conclusion

  1. In closing, I would like to thank SIMI again for inviting me to join the celebrations.
  1. I look forward to seeing Singapore mediation soar to greater heights.
  1. Thank you, and I wish you all a pleasant day ahead.

Last updated on 8 November 2024