The Singapore Mediation Convention

The Singapore Mediation Convention, which is expected to be signed on August 1, 2019, will make it easier for businesses to enforce mediated settlement agreements with their cross-border counterparts.

Significance

The Singapore Mediation Convention ("Convention"), which is expected to be signed on August 1, 2019, facilitates the enforcement of international settlement agreements arising from mediation. At present, parties who conclude a mediated settlement outside the context of court proceedings or arbitration can generally only enforce the settlement as a contract. This typically involves first obtaining a court judgment for breach of contract and then enforcing the judgment in a chosen jurisdiction— a potentially lengthy and costly process. The Convention will make it easier for businesses to enforce mediated settlement agreements with their cross-border counterparts. The Convention will allow the enforcing party to go directly to a court in a state party