Key Highlights & Insights from UNCITRAL Academy 2. As with previous editions, the UNCITRAL Academy, co-organised by MinLaw and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), was the highlight of SC Week 2023. Themed Tomorrow's World Today: Leading the Future of Dispute Resolution, this year's UNCITRAL Academy Conference and Capacity-Building Workshops were held from 29 to 31 August, and focused on navigating the future of dispute resolution, especially in a digital-first world against the backdrop of multiculturalism, sustainability and rapid changes. 3. In his welcome address at the opening of the UNCITRAL Academy Conference and Industry Capacity-Building Workshop, Singapore's Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and Second Minister for Law, Mr Edwin Tong SC said, "Building the world today for tomorrow has always been Singapore's philosophy since independence. We applied the same philosophy to developing Singapore into the leading international dispute resolution hub it is today. We also developed a comprehensive suite of international commercial dispute resolution services. The Singapore Convention on Mediation is one contributing instrument, that provides parties with another viable option to resolve cross-border disputes. To date, we have 56 signatories, and 11 Parties to the Convention. I am confident more will sign and ratify soon." 4. Ms Anna Joubin-Bret, Secretary of UNCITRAL, said in her opening remarks, "Every year, the SC Week provides the forum for thought leaders, practitioners and users to discuss around shared values and practices, and to explore what lies ahead of us. The discussions in Singapore have helped us spark ideas, acquire new perspectives and develop our thoughts further. This event has greatly contributed to our work over the past years and we trust that it will continue to do so." 5. There were many insightful and engaging discussions over the course of the UNCITRAL Academy: a. In the 'Dispute Resolution in the Digital Economy' panel, panellists shared their insights on electronic awards and digital evidence. They also discussed the challenges of using AI in dispute resolution, and how its core principles could be safeguarded even as the society continues to innovate. i. "We have to stay aware of the latest developments, and also stay abreast with the potential challenges that might arise, and this will have an effect on legal education and legal training as well. There needs to be a discussion on what the parameters are for the use of legal technology, and to figure out what we as a dispute resolution community find important. To what extent do we want to sacrifice the normative values that we now place at the centre for the greater good of efficiency, is the question we should really be asking, especially now, when due process concerns sometimes have to make way for arguments for user-friendliness and efficiency," Professor Maud Piers, Associate Professor, Ghent University; Vice- President, Belgian Centre of Arbitration and Mediation (Cepani) said. b. Mr Lionel Yee SC, Deputy Attorney-General, Singapore Attorney-General's Chambers moderated a fireside chat with Dr Hab Marcin Czepelak, Secretary-General, Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), the oldest permanent intergovernmental institution dedicated to the settlement of international disputes. The PCA Secretary-General outlined, from the PCA's perspective, the emerging trends in international dispute settlement involving States, including that there would be more new types of dispute settlement methods besides arbitration being used by States. He reaffirmed the importance of the PCA's office in Singapore, and highlighted the PCA's desire to partner with Singapore to promote mediation. i. "The PCA tries to offer an institutional dimension to a mediation process, which should mitigate some of the risks associated with mediation by giving it legitimacy. So if we continue partnering with states that promote mediation such as Singapore, I think finally we will get to the point where we will have cases confirming the role of mediation and all the benefits that mediation brings to the table. But it is important to really put some trust in it and that is part of my role as Secretary-General to promote and create sufficient trust for mediation," Dr Hab Marcin Czepelak noted. c. In the 'Investor-State Mediation' panel, panellists drew from their own professional experiences in investor-state...