Singapore Signs Joint Declaration to Become Dispute Settlement Ground for Law of the Sea

ITLOS President Vladimir Golitsyn and Ng How Yue, of the Ministry of Law, signed a joint declaration to make Singapore a settlement venue.

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) has announced that it has signed a joint declaration with the Government of Singapore for the city-state to become a venue in Asia for ITLOS proceedings.

"The Joint Declaration underscores the commitment of both sides to facilitate access to the Tribunal, by serving the needs of the States of this region and promoting the peaceful settlement of disputes relating to the law of the sea," said Vladimir Golitsyn, ITLOS President.

"I am extremely grateful to the Government of Singapore for its willingness to assist the Tribunal in the provision of appropriate facilities whenever the Tribunal considers it desirable for a special chamber of the Tribunal or the Tribunal to sit or exercise its functions in Singapore.”

Under the declaration, proceedings of ITLOS or special chamber of the ITLOS may take place in the region at a "convenient" place.

"The Joint Declaration is a clear endorsement of Singapore as a neutral venue for the effective settlement of international disputes," said K. Shanmugam, Singapore's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Law.

"It also demonstrates Singapore’s commitment to the international rule of law by facilitating access to ITLOS in order to serve the needs of the States of this region, with a view to promoting the peaceful settlement of disputes relating to the law of the sea."

In July, it was reported that incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery in Asia rose by 18 percent during the first six months of 2015, according to the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP).