(VOVworld) – Singapore’s Ministry of Law and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) signed a joint declaration on Monday, making Singapore a venue in Asia for the tribunal’s proceedings for disputes relating to marine law.

People walk past rows of flags at the main entrance of the courtroom of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, in Hamburg, on Nov 6, 2013 (Photo: AFP)

K. Shanmugam, Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Law, said that the joint declaration was a clear endorsement of Singapore as a neutral venue for settling international disputes. It also demonstrated Singapore’s commitment to international law and to promoting peaceful settlement of disputes relating to the law of the sea.
The International Tribunal is an independent judicial body, established by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to hear any dispute concerning the interpretation or application of the UNCLOS.