Quotes from the Keynote Address of the Honourable Chief Justice of India, Justice N.V. Ramana:

“Conflicts are unavoidable in any society for a variety of reasons – political, economic, social, cultural, and religious. And with conflicts, there is also the need to develop mechanisms for conflict resolution. India, and numerous Asian countries, have a long and rich tradition of collaborative and amicable settlement of disputes.

Given the growing scope of mediation, it is time for India to enter mission mode.

There is a need to popularise mediation as a cheaper and faster dispute resolution mechanism, so a movement needs to be launched.

Mediation should be a mandatory first step for the resolution of every allowable dispute as this will go a long way in promoting mediation. Perhaps, an omnibus law in this regard is needed to fill the vacuum.”

He further added that “Mediation, being the cheapest and simplest option available to the public at large, can be described as a tool of social justice in the Indian context. Such a party-friendly mechanism ultimately upholds the rule of law, by providing an incentive for parties to utilize their autonomy to the fullest to arrive at a just and equitable outcome. And cooperation between India and Singapore is going to be a significant factor in promoting alternate dispute redressal mechanisms in both our countries, as well as in the entire subcontinent.”

Quotes from the Keynote Address of The Honourable Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Chief Justice of Singapore:

“If the Singapore Convention helped to raise awareness of and confidence in mediation, the COVID-19 pandemic has catalysed a greater willingness to undertake mediation and, in this process, to discover its real value as an efficient, effective, and enforceable mechanism for dispute resolution."

He further added "As we look ahead to the future of mediation, we should remind ourselves that legal services – as with all other services – must ultimately be designed with the user at the heart. And for international mediation to come into its own, it must meet the evolving needs of cross-border businesses.  I suggest, in this light, that two trends will likely shape the future of mediation.

The first is that, at least in the near term, the real attraction of mediation will lie in its inherent flexibility and consequent ability to complement, rather than compete with, litigation and arbitration...

The second trend we can anticipate, perhaps in the longer term, is the greater integration of mediation into our legal systems as a means of serving the rule of law.

While mediation is largely an out-of-court process, it is a misconception to suggest that mediation hurts the rule of law by taking the law out of the hands of the courts. Rather, the rule of law requires that there be effective access to justice, and this can take place outside the confines of a courtroom.

By enhancing the prospect of achieving final and acceptable outcomes when disputes arise, and by providing an often more timely and cost-efficient alternative to the other methods of dispute resolution, mediation offers a real and vital option in helping to address legal needs that might otherwise go unmet. … ”

Quotes from the Opening Remarks by Mr. Edwin Tong SC,

the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law, Singapore:

“While getting a mediated settlement agreement is a good first step, there will always be a niggling worry, especially when you deal with a cross-border party, that the other party may not fulfill their part of the agreement. So, what’s important in the mediation is the assurance that any agreement that parties reached will be complied with.

The Singapore Convention on Mediation, which facilitates the enforcement of mediated settlement of an international commercial dispute, offers this assurance.

So far, 54 countries have signed the Convention, and 6 countries have gone on to ratify the Convention. India was one of the first countries to sign the Convention, and we look forward to India’s ratification soon. We will be happy to share Singapore’s experience in this regard, if necessary.”

Quotes from the Speech of Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog:

"We are at an important cusp in India where justice delivery is being looked at carefully and progressively by both the Courts and by the Government. Mediation provides us an opportunity to assist in creating a framework that allows matters to be resolved before entering the formal court system.

It will be incumbent upon all of us to help mediation benefit from major increases in capacity, capability, and training processes. Mediation provides us an opportunity to assist in creating a framework that allows matters to be resolved before entering the formal court system. Mediation is a vital cog to helping expedite access to justice at every level of commercial and civil disputes.”

Another key highlight of the Summit was the inclusive, high-powered panel discussion, where leaders from the business, government, legal, and judicial communities, engaged with Mediation leaders from India and Singapore, on the opportunities and challenges around the practice and its increasingly important role in resolving disputes, while preserving brand reputations and valuations.

Excerpts from the Welcome Address by SIMC Chairman George Lim:

"In conjunction with the Summit, SIMC, and our partners CAMP, and Mediation Mantras, we are embarking on several new and exciting initiatives.

These initiatives include a new cross-border mediation service for businesses operating along the busy India-Singapore trade corridor during the Covid-19 pandemic; A declaration to encourage business chambers and companies to consider mediation first before embarking on an adversarial process; and training senior practitioners in international mediation”.

SIMC CEO, Chuan Wee Meng further added:

"Mediation and conflict resolution is becoming critical for economic and business growth across the world. While roadblocks and conflicts are inevitable however timely resolution through mediation can help the ease of doing business across borders and catayze growth especially in the post-pandemic era. This event will bring together some of the best minds to discuss the true potential of Mediation and its impact on the future of business.”

“We are truly grateful that the Honourable Mr. Justice N.V. Ramana, Chief Justice of India, and The Honourable Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, Chief Justice of Singapore, for sharing their wisdom and perspectives on a range of issues affecting mediation, its relevance, and importance, especially when it comes to India and Singapore.”

Laila Ollapally, Founder of CAMP Arbitration and Mediation Practice said:

“Many of us mediators have repeatedly seen the ‘sacred space’ that exists between a failed negotiation and an all-out war. Failure to explore the possibilities that exist in this space can result in immense burden on the system of administration of Justice, businesses losses, destruction of relationships built over generations, and not to mention time, money and effort.  We mediators have also seen the immense possibility of opportunities for collaboration in a dispute. ‘Out of the mud comes the lotus’. Disputing parties go back with a joint venture, families rocked by disputes celebrate family reunions, toasting the mediation that enabled them to restructure their business and allowed them to separately grow from success to success. 

ISMS2021 brought together voices from the judicial, legal, and business communities, to highlight the role that Mediation can play in transforming the way people resolve their disputes. The participation of the Honourable Chief Justices of India and Singapore at the Summit and members from the Government of both countries, signalled the beginning of a new era in Mediation.”

Mehernosh Shapoorjee, Co-Founder, Mediation Mantras added:

“Having been part of the non-legal corporate world for the past three decades, we see ISMS2021 as a good bridge between the old and the new ways of commercial dispute resolution in India, and a keystone event in enhancing the ease of doing business within and across international borders.

The business world now has access to an increasing number of professional Private Mediators that understand the complex issues and the stakes involved in commercial disputes.

We hope the discussions at ISMS2021, with key stakeholders involved in dispute resolution, will instill confidence among existing and potential litigants and their lawyers, that Mediation is a great option and in their best interests.

Mediation not only helps resolve conflicts in a confidential, collaborative manner, it also helps preserve business relationships, reputations, and valuations.”