Dear Itai,

 

On behalf of the American Society of International Law (ASIL), I am pleased to invite you to participate in a panel discussion on the very timely topic of Mediation, the Singapore Convention, and Appropriate Dispute Resolution at the 2020 Annual Meeting. This Annual Meeting will be held in Washington, D.C. from Wednesday, April 1 through Saturday, April 4.  

 

The Society’s Annual Meeting is one of the largest conferences of international lawyers in North America and covers a wide variety of topics and issues related to the annual theme, which, for 2020, is “The Promise of International Law.”

 

Although the Annual Meeting program is still being finalized, the description of the session in which we would like you to participate is as follows: 

 

Session Title: The Singapore Convention on Mediation and the Future of Appropriate Dispute Resolution

 

Session description abstract: In August 2019, the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation became open for signature in Singapore. On the very first day, forty-six countries signed what has become known as the Singapore Convention. Part of the reason for the popularity of the Convention is the structural support it offers to provide a holistic approach to the resolution of international disputes. Rather than parties having to rely exclusively on international arbitration tribunals or courts to secure compliance with legal obligations, parties have a reliable, rule-of-law-based enforcement mechanism to buttress their private mediation efforts by promoting a streamlined enforcement mechanism that ensures mediation has meaningful—rather than aspirational—value.

 

This session will examine the genesis, current status, and utility of the Singapore Convention, drawing partly on the knowledge of persons involved in its development. Panelists will discuss practical implications for international dispute resolution practitioners, as well as potential limitations of the Convention, including how the Convention may intersect with existing domestic mediation practices and the lack of participation among European Union states.

 

The session will also use the Singapore Convention as a springboard for discussions about exploring forms of Appropriate Dispute Resolution (ADR), particularly non-adjudicative forms of international dispute resolution like mediation, negotiation, and community-based conflict management. By exploring how a range of dispute resolution options can be effective, whether non-adjudicative or more traditional forms like litigation and arbitration, the panel will consider how the Singapore Convention could impact parties’ choices and options for identifying effective dispute resolution strategies and international conflict management. The panel will provide these insights by offering commentary reflecting a range of perspectives, including government officials, practitioners, clients, and scholars.

 

Given your expertise in these areas, and your experience with the drafting of the Singapore Convention in particular, we believe that you would be an invaluable contributor to the discussion at the session, and we would be honored if you would accept this invitation to speak at the Annual Meeting.  

 

The Society, unfortunately, is not able to provide funding for speakers to attend the Annual Meeting, but is pleased to be able to offer confirmed speakers a greatly reduced registration rate to take advantage of the rest of the substantive events occurring at the Annual Meeting.

 

You can find more information on the Annual Meeting on ASIL’s website at www.asil.org/am.

 

Please let us know at your earliest convenience if you will be able to join us for the session, and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. 

 

Best,

Megan

Megan O'Neill

Covington & Burling LLP
One CityCenter, 850 Tenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001-4956
T +1 202 662 5416 | moneill@cov.com
www.cov.com

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