This Commentary offers an article-by-article examination of the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (the Singapore Convention), as well as insights into the negotiation process through which the Convention was developed. It provides deep theoretical and practical analysis of the Convention and its consequences for the promotion of mediation as a mechanism to solve commercial conflicts with a cross-border character.

The Singapore Convention on Mediation is just beginning its life as an international legal instrument. How is it likely to fare? In the second edition of this comprehensive, article-by-article commentary, the authors provide a robust report on the features of the Convention and their implications, with an analysis of potential controversies and authoritative clarifications of particular provisions. The book’s meticulous examination considers these issues and topics: international mediated settlement agreements as a new type of legal instrument in international law; types of settlement agreements that fall within the scope of the Convention; how the Convention’s enforcement mechanism works; the meaning of ‘international’ and the absence of a seat of mediation; the Convention’s approach to recognition and enforcement of international mediated settlement agreements; the grounds for refusal to grant relief under the Convention; mediator misconduct as a ground for refusal to grant relief; the role of confidentiality in granting relief for international mediated settlement agreements; the impact of the Convention on private international law; the relationship of the Singapore Convention to other international instruments such as the UN Model Law on International Commercial Mediation and the New York Convention on Arbitration; possibilities for Contracting States to declare reservations; court decisions from around the globe on the recognition and enforceability of international mediated settlement agreements; and domestic mediation legislation including domestic laws that implement the Singapore Convention. This book takes a giant step towards relieving the inherent uncertainty associated with how this newly constituted instrument may operate, and how States may become ‘Convention ready’. It is an essential reference for international lawyers, mediators and government officials as the Convention proves itself in the coming years.

The Singapore Convention on Mediation is just beginning its life as an international legal instrument. How is it likely to fare? In the second edition of this comprehensive, article-by-article commentary, the authors provide a robust report on the features of the Convention and their implications, with an analysis of potential controversies and authoritative clarifications of particular provisions. The book''s meticulous examination considers these issues and topics: international mediated settlement agreements as a new type of legal instrument in international law; types of settlement agreements that fall within the scope of the Convention; how the Convention''s enforcement mechanism works; the meaning of ''international'' and the absence of a seat of mediation; the Convention''s approach to recognition and enforcement of international mediated settlement agreements; the grounds for refusal to grant relief under the Convention; mediator misconduct as a ground for refusal to grant relief; the role of confidentiality in granting relief for international mediated settlement agreements; the impact of the Convention on private international law; the relationship of the Singapore Convention to other international instruments such as the UN Model Law on International Commercial Mediation and the New York Convention on Arbitration; possibilities for Contracting States to declare reservations; court decisions from around the globe on the recognition and enforceability of international mediated settlement agreements; and domestic mediation legislation including domestic laws that implement the Singapore Convention. This book takes a giant step towards relieving the inherent uncertainty associated with how this newly constituted instrument may operate, and how States may become ''Convention ready''. It is an essential reference for international lawyers, mediators and government officials as the Convention proves itself in the coming years.

In late 2018, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution to adopt the UN Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation and to make corresponding amendments to the Model Law on International Commercial Conciliation. The convention was named the Singapore Convention on Mediation (“Singapore Convention”) when it was signed by 46 countries on 7 August 2019, and will come into force on 12 September 2020. The Singapore Convention is meant to achieve for mediation what the New York Convention has done for international arbitration. Its future success is highly dependent on the sound application of its provisions by the courts in signatory states that is informed by an accurate understanding of the mediation process. This article discusses the fundamental role to be played by the courts in supporting and regulating mediated settlement agreements under the Singapore Convention. It first examines the symbiotic relationship that has existed between the courts and mediation prior to the Singapore Convention. It further discusses the limitations of relying on litigation to support mediated settlement agreements, and other reasons that prompted international efforts to create a cross-border enforcement regime. In addition, it analyses the carefully crafted scope of the Singapore Convention, noting the efforts to ensure that the final instrument accommodated the diversity and flexibility of mediation practices. Finally, it examines how the provisions of the convention - particularly the grounds for non-enforcement - have been drafted to be consonant with both the unique characteristics of the mediation process and the need for mediation to comply with due process and public policy concerns. It argues that the Singapore Convention has struck a delicate balance between interests arising from the interface between mediation and the courts. It is vital that the courts in signatory states are also cognisant of these interests, so as to apply the convention accurately and to maintain the complementary relationship between the courts and the mediation process.

Until now, the resolution of international commercial and investment disputes has been dominated almost exclusively by international arbitration. But that is changing. Whilst they may be complementary mechanisms, international mediation and conciliation are now coming to the fore. Mediation rules that were in disuse gather momentum, and dispute settlement centres are introducing new mediation rules. The European Union is encouraging international mediation in both the commercial and investment spheres. The 2019 Singapore Mediation Convention of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) is aiming to ensure enforcement of international commercial settlement agreements resulting from mediation. The first investor-State disputes are mediated under the International Bar Association (IBA) rules. The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)'s conciliation mechanism is resorted to more often than in the past. The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has recently administered its first mediation case based on a bilateral investment treaty, and a new training market on mediation is flourishing. Mediation in Commercial and Investment Disputes brings together a line-up of outstanding, highly-qualified experts from academia, mediation and arbitration institutions, and international legal practice, to address this highly topical, complex subject from a variety of angles.

This article attempts to provide a definitive overview of the text, structure, history, and purpose of the Singapore Convention on Mediation (also known as the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation), a new multilateral treaty developed by the U.N. Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).The Convention, scheduled to open for signature in August 2019, provides a uniform, efficient framework for the recognition and enforcement of mediated settlement agreements that resolve international, commercial disputes -- akin to the framework that the 1958 New York Convention provides for arbitral awards. Unlike the other primary international organizations that develop commercial law treaties, UNCITRAL does not commission official commentaries or explanatory reports for the treaties it produces. This article aims to fill this gap based on the records of the negotiations and the firsthand experiences of the author in proposing and participating in the negotiations.

On 26 June 2018, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) approved, largely without modification, the final drafts of the Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (the Singapore Convention) and amendments to the Model Law on International Commercial Mediation prepared by Working Group II. These instruments aim to promote the enforceability of international commercial settlement agreements reached through mediation in the same way that the New York Convention facilitates the recognition and enforcement of international arbitration awards. This paper provides a critical analysis of the Singapore Convention and some commentary from an Asian perspective.