12 October 2012 | CIL Fireside Chat Series
Lessons in Negotiating Multilateral and Bilateral Agreements
Introduction
International agreements are an important source of international law. Negotiating such agreements requires not only knowledge of international law but also a keen awareness of political realities. The negotiator must also have excellent interpersonal skills.
This final session of the CIL Fireside Chat Series for 2012 brought together leading international lawyers and diplomats to share their experiences as Singapore’s negotiators for key bilateral and multilateral agreements.
Hosted by Professor S. Jayakumar, the panel featured Justice Chao Hick Tin (Judge of Appeal, Supreme Court, former Senior State Counsel and Attorney-General), Professor Tommy Koh (Ambassador-at-Large, MFA), Ambassador Burhan Gafoor (Chief Negotiator, Climate Change Office, MFA) and Mr. Richard Magnus (Singapore’s Representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights, former Senior District Judge and former Head of the Legal Department, Ministry of Defence).
These distinguished panellists have had extensive experience negotiating a variety of bilateral and multilateral agreements on issues ranging from climate change, law of the sea, trade and security.
The discussion provided a unique insight into how Singapore, as a small State, advances its national interests in bilateral or multilateral negotiations and can play a role in the development of international law.
Panelists:
Justice Chao Hick Tin
Professor Tommy Koh
Ambassador Burhan Gafoor
Mr. Richard Magnus
Host:
Professor S. Jayakumar
About the CIL Fireside Chat Series
The CIL Fireside Chat Series was a series of talks scheduled in 2012, which was hosted by Professor S. Jayakumar and Professor Tommy Koh, two of Singapore’s eminent diplomats. The series explored the interplay between diplomacy and international law by inviting leading international lawyers and diplomats to share their insights on the legal and political considerations that shape a State’s conduct in international relations. To view the general eBrochure on the CIL Fireside Chat Series, please click here.
