CIL co-organises the inaugural ILA Singapore Symposium with the Singapore Branch of the International Law Association

On 28 September 2023, the Singapore Branch of the International Law Association (ILA), with the support of the Centre for International Law (CIL), organised the inaugural ILA Singapore Symposium on "The Role of International Law in Shaping the Future", held at the Arts House (Old Parliament House), Singapore. The symposium was attended by academics and practitioners from both the public and private sectors. They discussed issues of public international law and private international law in two “Tylney Hall”-style sessions, where the moderators selected several questions submitted in advance by the participants, which were then addressed in an interactive discussion and debate among the participants.

The symposium started with a welcome address by the President of the Singapore Branch of the International Law Association, Ms. Koh Swee Yen SC, followed by a Keynote Speech delivered by The Honourable Justice Pang Khang Chau of the Supreme Court of Singapore. Justice Pang, an experienced practitioner in public international law before joining the Singapore judiciary, highlighted the increasing convergence between public and private international law as evidenced in areas such as aviation, trade, investment, and human rights. He traced back the early origins of modern international law and how it continues to adapt to modern realities. In this connection, Justice Pang noted the enduring power of international law on the ways in which states act, noting the various legal expressions that states have used both to condemn or justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This, he pointed out, stands as a testament to international law’s relevance in today’s world.

The first session on public international law was facilitated by Professor N. Jansen Calamita, Head, Investment Law & Policy, at CIL and Ms. Gitta Satryani, Partner at Herbert Smith Freehills LLP. The moderators led the debate on wide-ranging issues such as the current state of human rights advocacy in Asia, the role of mediation in resolving international investment disputes, and how international law regulates the shift of power from states to influential individuals and non-state actors, including the issue of state attribution.

Ms. Samantha Tan, Partner at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP and Mr. Tiong Teck Wee, Partner at WongPartnership LLP moderated the second session on private international law. Issues discussed, among others, were recent developments on foreign state immunity laws in different jurisdictions in relation to commercial activities, their impact on the enforcement of arbitral awards and execution against state assets, and the legal implications of emerging technologies, such as blockchain, AI, and the metaverse, on matters of choice of law and arbitrability.

This event was sponsored by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, WongPartnership LLP, together with publicity support from the Singapore International Arbitration Centre.