There is no question that remote participation is here to stay and will become an institutionalized part of the Mediation process in a post-coronavirus world.

The longer a mediation lasts the greater the likelihood that it will be successful. This conclusion is anecdotal, but based upon long experience.

Mediation takes many forms and has many facets. It is a malleable process that parties and neutrals adapt to different areas of practice, cultures, and practitioner demands.

The Singapore Convention on Mediation represents the dawn of a new era in dispute resolution on a global scale. We can all persuade our Governments to sign, ratify and implement the Convention.

Litigation is like a hammer. But not every single problem is a nail. Mediation is another tool in the toolkit.

The disruption brought by Covid-19 will increase the number of disputes. Mediation is one solution to dealing with these disputes for businesses to transition to the new normal.

Upon closer examination, virtual/remote mediations via video conference have revealed some surprising advantages over traditional in-person mediation conferences. 

In the near future, it is likely that mediations will continue to take place by video, with all participants appearing that way. We are at the beginning of a new frontier of video mediation.

Saudi Arabia has become the fourth country to ratify the Singapore Mediation Convention, an international agreement on cross-border mediation.

Called the SGUnited Mediation Initiative, the Supreme Court will identify and refer suitable cases to the Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC), where a neutral third-party mediator helps disputing parties to achieve a mutually acceptable and amicable resolution.