Following submissions made by the Australian Disputes Centre in conjunction with members of the Council for Australian Dispute Resolution (CADR) to the Federal Attorney-General earlier this year in support of the signing of the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (‘Singapore Convention on Mediation’), Australia has become the latest country to sign the Singapore Convention on Mediation.

On 10 September 2021, Australia joined a list of 52 countries who have so far signed the Convention.[1]

AfghanistanGuinea-BissauPhilippines
ArmeniaHaitiQatar
AustraliaHondurasSamoa
BelarusIndiaSaudi Arabia
BelizeIranSerbia
BrazilIsraelSierra Leone
BruneiJamaicaSingapore
ChadJordanSouth Korea
ChileKazakhstanSri Lanka
ChinaLaosTimor Leste
Republic of CongoMalaysiaTurkey
Democratic Republic of CongoMaldivesUganda
EcuadorMauritiusUkraine
Kingdom of EswatiniMontenegroUnited States of America
FijiNigeriaUruguay
GabonNorth MacedoniaVenezuela
GeorgiaPalau
GrenadaParaguay

Following the signing, Australia’s dualist model requires the Singapore Convention on Mediation to be separately enacted into domestic legislation before it can take effect.

The Singapore Convention on Mediation will be tabled in both Houses of Parliament for scrutiny by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties. The legislative changes which are required to implement the Convention into domestic law must pass through both Houses of Parliament before arrangements are made for entry into force.[2]

Once the Convention enters into force, it will provide Australia with a uniform framework for the recognition and enforcement of mediated settlement agreements in cross-border disputes.

Click through to the United Nations Treaty Collections HERE.

Download the Press Release HERE.

 

 

[1] https://www.singaporeconvention.org/jurisdictions

[2] https://www.dfat.gov.au/international-relations/treaties/treaty-making-process