In his article written for The Straits Times on Wednesday, Rothwell wrote that a 15-member commission with a mandate to facilitate mediation, conciliation and arbitration would provide both an informal and formal third-party mechanism capable of dealing with disputes at both a bilateral and regional level. The commission's reach could extend to both land and maritime disputes, including islands, rocks and other small maritime features such as reefs and shoals. Its mandate could also extend to determining maritime entitlements in accordance with the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), with the exception of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles which is addressed through a separate UN process.