Webinar: Roundtable on the position of the European Union on the Singapore Convention on Mediation

The United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements resulting from Mediation (the ‘Singapore Convention’) entered into force on 12 September 2020. However, the Convention has not been signed by the EU or its Member States. What keeps the EU or its member states from signing the Singapore Convention on Mediation? Experts will discuss pertinent aspects of the Singapore Convention on Mediation to create awareness of the Convention and will debate the EU’s position.

Webinar Link
DATE: Friday 18 June 2021 | 11:00 – 13:00 CET Vienna time (17:00 -19:00 GMT+8
Singapore Time)

To access the webinar use this link:

https://vuw.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hSFTXym_SrKRCTIsZ7NgLQ
Please email herman.verbist@everest-law.be if you have any questions.

11.00 (CET) Welcome by Sir Michael Burton, President of FICA

11.05 (CET) Roundtable “The reflection process of the European Commission”
• Is the accession to the Singapore Convention an exclusive jurisdiction of the EU or is it a shared competence of the EU and Member States?
• To what extent would the Singapore Convention benefit EU stakeholders?
• Developing mediation policies and practices in Europe.
• The views of States that signed the Singapore Convention.

12.00 (CET) Break

12.05 (CET) Roundtable “What is the impact of the Singapore Convention on the EU laws and policies?”
• Does the Singapore Convention interfere with the EU internal regulatory framework (as REIO)?
• The role of the Hague Convention on Choice of Forum 2005 or the Hague Judgments Convention 2019.

Panellists include:
• Dr Nadja Alexander, Professor at Singapore Management University
• Ms Anna Joubin-Bret, Secretary of UNCITRAL
• Sir Michael Burton, President of FICA
• Mrs Francisca da Silva Dias Van Dunem, Minister of Justice of Portugal & Chair of the Council of Ministers of Justice during the Portuguese Presidency to the Council (tbc)
• Dr Catherine Kessedjian, former Deputy Secretary General of the Hague Conference on Private International Law & Professor emerita at University Panthéon-Assas Paris II
• Mr Bernard Lange, Chairman of INTA, European Parliament (tbc)
• Dr Dr hc Thomas Pfeiffer, Professor at Heidelberg University & Chair of the European Law Institute Special Interest Group on Dispute Resolution
• Mr Didier Reynders, European Commissioner for Justice (tbc)
• Dr Norel Rosner, Legal and Policy Officer, Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers, European Commission
• Ms Natalie Morris-Sharma, former Chair of UNCITRAL Working group II which drafted the Singapore Convention & Deputy Senior State Counsel with Singapore’s Attorney-General Chambers
• Dr Rimantas Simaitis, Chairman of the CEPEJ-GT-MED
• Mr Aleš Zalar, former Minister of Justice of Slovenia and current co-chair of ELI hub in
Slovenia, will be moderating the roundtable.

Participants will be able to raise questions. Participation is free of charge. In cooperation with: