Second in-person Meeting of the Expert Group in Singapore

The Expert Group on the Future Development of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (the “Expert Group”), established by the Secretary-General of the PCA at the request of the Administrative Council, held its second in-person meeting from 3 to 5 September 2025 in Singapore. The meeting took place at Maxwell Chambers, with the support of the Singapore Ministry of Law, under the framework of the Host Country Agreement between the PCA and Singapore.

Since its inaugural meeting in March 2025, the Expert Group has continued its discussions through virtual meetings. At its Singapore session, the Expert Group advanced its deliberations on the PCA’s role in the evolving landscape of international dispute resolution and considered how the institution might further develop its capabilities to meet modern demands in the field.

The meeting also included a session with inputs from external discussants, namely: Ambassador Peter Taksøe-Jensen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark to the Republic of Italy (formerly, Chair of the Timor Sea Conciliation Commission), and Mr. Stephen D. Mathias, Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs of the United Nations.

With the support of the International Bureau, the Expert Group will prepare an Interim Report by the end of 2025, paving the way for the submission of its Final Report with recommendations to the Secretary-General of the PCA in 2026.

More information about the Expert Group can be found here.