The landscape of international commercial dispute resolution is witnessing a powerful transformation. At the International Mediation Institute (IMI), we are thrilled to celebrate landmark milestones: the ratification by Mauritius and the formal accession of Uzbekistan to the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation, commonly known as the Singapore Convention on Mediation.
The Singapore Convention on Mediation reached major milestones in 2026, driven by new signatures from Egypt and Azerbaijan, Oman’s accession, and Colombia’s ratification. The momentum carried into August with two key additions:
Mauritius ratified the Convention on August 17, 2026, thereby becoming the 23rd State Party to the Convention. In accordance with treaty provisions, the Convention will enter into force for Mauritius six months following ratification, on February 17, 2027.
Furthermore, Uzbekistan acceded to the Convention on August 28, 2026. The Convention will enter into force for Uzbekistan six months later.
Why This Matters
The accession of Uzbekistan and the ratification by Mauritius represent an important advancement in promoting mediation in international commercial dispute resolution. The Convention provides a uniform legal framework for the recognition and enforcement of settlement agreements resulting from mediation, filling a longstanding gap in cross-border dispute resolution and complementing existing national and international mechanisms.
The Convention remains open for signature, ratification, acceptance, approval, or accession by States and eligible regional economic integration organizations. The convention now has 23 contracting parties and 60 signatories. Updated information on the Convention’s status is available on the official Singapore Convention on Mediation website managed by the Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy (SIDRA), with the support of the Ministry of Law, Singapore.
IMI continues to support the development and implementation of the Singapore Convention on Mediation through its recently established Mediation Public Policy Committee, with the goal of promoting the integration of mediation into public policy, legislative and regulatory frameworks, and governmental practices on a global scale. Among its initial projects, the Committee is tasked with providing more structured support to the further understanding and adoption of the Singapore Convention on Mediation, a project which IMI has long supported and co-created. Read more about the work of the Committee here: Introducing IMI’s New Mediation Public Policy Committee — International Mediation Institute.