Japan deposited its instrument of accession at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 1 October 2023, marking the country’s formal entry as the twelfth State Party to the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation, also known as the “Singapore Convention on Mediation”.
The Singapore Convention on Mediation will enter into force on the 1 April 2024 for Japan.
Japan has made one reservation in acceding to the Convention:
“In accordance with paragraph 1(b) of Article 8 of the Convention, the Government of Japan declares that the Convention shall apply only to the extent that the parties to the settlement agreement have agreed to the application of the Convention.”
This Convention establishes a framework for, including but not limited to, enforcement of international settlement agreements resulting from mediation in order to promote the use of mediation as a method of resolving international commercial disputes.
It is expected that Japan’s conclusion of this Convention will further facilitate the use of mediation and that it will contribute to expanding Japanese companies’ overseas businesses and to attracting foreign investment in Japan, thereby leading to its economic development.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan Press Release, 2 October 2023
The Singapore Convention on Mediation facilitates international trade and promotes mediation as an alternative and effective method of resolving commercial disputes by providing an effective mechanism for the enforcement of international settlement agreements resulting from mediation.
In total, fifty-six States have signed the Convention since it opened for signature on 7 August 2019. A full list of signatories and parties to the Convention is available on the United Nations Treaty Collection. Further up-to-date information on the Convention and its status, including an overview of the implementing legislation of the Parties to the Convention, the official preparatory documents from the UNCITRAL Working Group II negotiations (Travaux Préparatoires) and other useful resources, may be found here.
The Convention is open for signature, ratification, and accession by States and regional economic integration organizations.
