The United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (Singapore Convention on Mediation) was opened for signature in Singapore on August 7, 2019. Mr. Li Chenggang, Assistant Minister of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, signed the Convention on behalf of the Chinese Government. Members of Project Team of the Ministry of Commerce on the Singapore Convention on Mediation, including four scholars from CASS Institute of International Law (Professor Liu Jingdong, Assistant Professors Mao Xiaofei, and Assistant Professor Sun Nanxiang from the Department of International Economic Law and Assistant Professor Fu Panfeng from the Department of Private International Law), attended the signing ceremony and the subsequent conference.

At the signing ceremony, China and 45 other countries signed the Convention, thereby becoming the first batch of signatory countries of the Convention.

During the conference, members of the Project Team exchanged opinions on legal issues relating to the signing and rectification of the Singapore Convention with members of the Chinese delegation, Ms. Anna Joubin-Bret, Secretary of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (“UNCITRAL”), Ms Xue Hanqin, Vice Chair of International Court of Justice, Mr. Gary Born, SIAC Court of Arbitration, Mr. Huang Jin, Chairman of the China Society of International Law, Mr. Wang Junfeng, Chairman of China Lawyers’ Association, Mr. Liu Chao, Director of the Legal Affairs Department of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and Professor Xiao Yongping, Director of Wuhan University Institute of International Law.

On August 6, the Project Team visited Singapore International Arbitration Centre and attended the Seminar on International Investment in Countries along the “Belt and Road”, jointly sponsored by  China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and Singapore International Arbitration Centre. After the Colloquium, the Project Team visited the Singapore Office of the ICC International Court of Arbitration and exchanged opinions with officials of the Office on issues relating to international arbitration.

On August 7, the Project Team visited Chinese Embassy in Singapore and attended a colloquium presided over by Mr. Li Chenggang, Assistant Minister of Commerce of China, in which they exchanged opinions with other participants on issues relating to the Singapore Convention and the development of commercial law system.