Maldives signs UN mediation treaty

Maldives has signed the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (Singapore Convention on Mediation) – designed to make enforcement of settlement agreements mandatory.

The treaty was signed by Attorney General Ibrahim Riffath in the signing ceremony held at Singapore this Wednesday.

The treaty is designed to make enforcement of international settlement agreements produced through mediation mandatory, and establish uniform policies and mechanisms in dealing with enforcement of such international settlement agreements among member nations.

Though Maldives signed the treaty after securing approval of the Parliament, enforcement of the treaty will require a specific set of laws. Work on drafting the necessary laws in currently underway at the Attorney General’s Office.

According to the Attorney General’s Office, the treaty will be enforced once the necessary laws are drafted, approved, and ratified.

The Attorney General’s Office has stressed it was a key government policy to strengthen the out of court settlement system in Maldives in order to create a safe environment for foreign investors.

It says the treaty which it signed this Wednesday is a major step towards realizing the government’s objective.

The UN Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation was passed by the UN at its annual general assembly held in December 20, 2018.