STATEMENT BY MR TOH SHIN HAO, DELEGATE TO THE 77TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, ON AGENDA ITEM 75, ON THE REPORT OF THE UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE LAW ON THE WORK OF ITS FIFTY-FIFTH SESSION, SIXTH COMMITTEE, 17 OCTOBER 2022

Thank you, Mr Chair

1 My delegation thanks the Chair of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, Ambassador Ivan Šimonović, for his stewardship of the 55th Session, as well as the Secretary and her team for their work in the past year. Singapore reaffirms our strong support for the Commission, which continues to make important contributions to strengthening the rules-based multilateral system. In this regard, I would like to make three points on the work of the Commission at its 55th Session.

  (a) First, Singapore congratulates the Commission on its adoption of the Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships. At present, the international legal effects of judicial sales of ships are not harmonised across States. By filling this gap with important safeguards, the Convention will help create certainty in this respect. This will result in benefits for all interested parties, including owners, lien holders and ship financiers.

  (b) Second, Singapore also congratulates the Commission on the adoption of the Model Law on the Use and Cross-border Recognition of Identity Management and Trust Services. UNCITRAL has a long track record in the preparation of uniform legislative texts relating to electronic commerce, which have assisted States to enhance their legal frameworks to enable and facilitate electronic commerce in international trade. Identity management and trust services are important in promoting trust and confidence in electronic commerce. This Model Law is a useful addition and contribution to the field of cross-border legal recognition of electronic identification and trust services.

(C) Third, Singapore further commends the adoption of the recommendations to assist mediation centres and other interested bodies with regard to mediation under the UNCITRAL Mediation Rules, the finalisation of the Legislative Guide on Insolvency Law for Micro- and Small Enterprises, and the publication of the updated Model Law on Cross-Border Insolvency: the Judicial Perspective. 

2 Singapore will continue to support and contribute to the Commission’s work. We have also contributed to raising awareness of its work on dispute resolution in the digital economy and in specialised fields, as well as investor-State dispute settlement reform, and to promoting adoption of the Singapore Convention on Mediation.

3 This year, Singapore once again co-organised, with the Commission’s Secretariat, the UNCITRAL Academy as part of the Singapore Convention Week 2022. The event had over 2,800 registered participants from more than a hundred countries. Government officials from more than 25 countries attended the Academy’s capacity-building workshop, where speakers provided perspectives from various jurisdictions on signing and ratifying the Singapore Convention. We welcome the recent ratifications of the Convention and the continued strong interest from countries to become parties. We stand ready to provide interested delegations with more information on the Convention.

4 Finally, Singapore welcomes the progress reports on the working groups and supports the Commission’s work programme. We will continue to participate actively in the working groups and contribute to the progress of each of their areas of work, including Working Group II’s efforts to facilitate and harmonise dispute settlement mechanisms, Working Group III’s work on the draft code of conduct for adjudicators as well as draft provisions and guidelines on mediation and Working Group V’s two on-going projects on the development and harmonisation of international insolvency law, namely, the legal issues arising from civil asset tracing and recovery, and the applicable law in insolvency proceedings.  We value the fact that our membership allows us to contribute to the Commission’s work, and look forward to continuing to do so.

5 Thank you, Mr Chair.

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