29 November 2022

Visit of the Secretary-General of the PCA to Singapore

From 16 to 18 November 2022, the Secretary-General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) visited Singapore to meet with various stakeholders and members of the PCA Singapore Office, and strengthen ties between the PCA and Singapore.

The visit marked the 5th anniversary of the Host Country Agreement the PCA signed with Singapore in 2017, which led to the establishment of the PCA Singapore Office and has allowed the PCA to better serve the dispute resolution needs of users of PCA services in Asia. More information about the PCA Singapore Office can be found here.

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On 16 November 2022, the Secretary-General visited Maxwell Chambers together with the PCA Representative in Singapore, Dr. Túlio Di Giacomo Toledo. They met with Mr. Ban Jiun Ean and Ms. Katherine Yap of Maxwell Chambers, to discuss the many challenges facing the organization of hearings in the post-pandemic world.

On the same day, the Secretary-General met with Attorney-General of Singapore, Mr. Lucien Wong, Deputy Attorney-General Lionel Yee, Deputy Attorney-General Ang Cheng Hock, and Solicitor-General Daphne Hong and discussed recent developments in Singapore in the field of dispute resolution.

On 17 November 2022, the Secretary-General paid a courtesy visit to Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, to discuss cooperation between the PCA and Singapore. The Secretary-General of the PCA took the opportunity to thank Minister Balakrishnan for the support for PCA’s activities in Singapore and in the region, and discussed opportunities for further development.

On the same day, the Secretary-General paid a visit to the Supreme Court of Singapore, where he met with Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Justice Kannan Ramesh, Justice Pang Khang Chau, Justice Philip Jeyaretnam, and Registrar Mr Tan Boon Heng. The members of Singapore’s judiciary presented about the Singapore International Commercial Court and its features. Later, the Secretary-General and Chief Justice Menon discussed Singapore as a hub for international dispute settlement and the PCA’s role in supporting it.

Later that day, the PCA delegation headed by the Secretary-General visited Singapore’s Ministry of Law, where they sat down with Permanent Secretary Mr. Loh Khum Yean, Director-General Ms. Sharon Ong and other representatives of the Ministry of Law to discuss the PCA’s presence in Singapore and the potential of mediation and conciliation as methods of dispute resolution.

On 18 November 2022, the PCA delegation paid courtesy visits to the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), where they were received by SIAC Deputy Chairman Chong Yee Leong, and the Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC), where they met with Mr. Chuan Wee Meng, CEO of SIMC, and Mr. Benatt Lee, Registrar of SIMC. The Secretary-General and Dr. Toledo then attended a lunch hosted by the Centre for International Law of the National University of Singapore, which was attended by Prof. S Jayakumar, Ambassador-at-Large Tommy Koh, Deputy Attorney-General Lionel Yee, Ms. Loretta Malintoppi, and Mr. Rodman Bundy.

On the same day, the Secretary-General met with the Second Minister for Law, Mr. Edwin Tong S.C., and discussed the existing cooperation between the PCA and Singapore and opportunities for further growth.

The Secretary-General’s visit concluded with a commemorative event celebrating the 5th anniversary of the signing of the 2017 PCA-Singapore Host Country Agreement. The successful marking of this milestone anniversary was co-organized by the PCA and Singapore’s Ministry of Law, and featured speeches by Minister Tong, the Secretary-General, and Deputy Attorney-General Lionel Yee. The speeches were followed by a fireside chat with the Secretary-General, moderated by PCA Representative in Singapore Dr. Toledo, and an insightful panel discussion on Singapore and the future of international dispute resolution.