Singapore files declaration to UNCLOS to prevent unilateral commencement of 3rd-party arbitration on maritime boundary dispute

Amid the ongoing maritime boundary dispute with Malaysia, the Singapore government on Wednesday (12 December) filed a declaration under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to prevent the unilateral commencement – by Singapore or any other country – of third-party arbitration or adjudication on such disagreements. Should a dispute arise that cannot be resolved through negotiations, Singapore will work together with the other signatories to agree on the choice of forum and the specific issues to be decided, in order that the matter can be submitted to arbitration or adjudication, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a statement on Thursday.