{"id":84741,"date":"2026-09-14T04:41:02","date_gmt":"2026-09-13T20:41:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=84741"},"modified":"2026-09-14T04:41:02","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T20:41:02","slug":"how-businesses-can-prepare-for-cross-border-disputes-before-they-happen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=84741","title":{"rendered":"How businesses can prepare for cross-border disputes before they happen"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Up to 10 million \u2013 that is the number of components that a single aircraft is made of.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It is also the number of points across a global supply chain where things could potentially go wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have multiple tiers of suppliers all over the world,\u201d said Anand Stanley, president of Airbus Asia-Pacific, citing supply chain risk as a key challenge that cross-border businesses now face.<\/p>\n

He was speaking at a fireside chat at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) Symposium 2026, alongside Law Minister Edwin Tong and Peta Latimer, president of business consulting firm Mercer Asia.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Held at Shangri-La Singapore on Aug 24, the SIAC Symposium kicks off the week-long Singapore Convention Week 2026. (See box below)<\/p>\n

Explaining that some of Airbus\u2019 deals can run into the billions of dollars, Stanley said the sheer scale of it means not every risk can be accounted for through paperwork alone. \u201cThe contracts and the documents don\u2019t necessarily get bigger (or more comprehensive) to manage the risk.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Beyond paperwork, what holds a deal like that together is something less tangible \u2013 trust, said Stanley.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of these deals just get done looking eye to eye on a handshake and a word,\u201d he explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Echoing the thought, Tong noted that business contracts are getting larger and involving multiple parties across different jurisdictions. Suppliers and partners are linked by relationships \u201ccultivated over long periods of time, (even) decades\u201d, he added.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cDisputes, when they occur, ought not (to) derail the entire relationship,\u201d said Tong, pointing to mediation as an option that businesses can take to resolve disputes while preserving the relationship between parties.<\/p>\n

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Singapore Convention Week 2026<\/h2>\n

Organised by the Ministry of Law, Singapore Convention Week (SC Week) 2026 was held from Aug 24 to 28\u00a0under the theme \u201cTimeless principles, timely solutions: Nurturing trust in a changing world\u201d.<\/p>\n

The event debuted in 2019, when the Singapore Convention on Mediation (SCM) opened for signature in Singapore. SCM is an international treaty that provides a uniform framework that makes it easier for mediated settlement agreements to be enforced across borders.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As of September 2026, SCM has 60 signatories and 24 contracting parties.<\/p>\n

SC Week has since grown; this year, the event gathered legal, business, and policy experts from nearly 100 jurisdictions to discuss evolving trends and solutions in dispute resolution amid an uncertain global environment.<\/p>\n

Ajay Dua, vice-president and assistant general counsel at global tech firm IBM, was one of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

SC Week \u201cprovides a fantastic platform to connect with professionals from other countries\u201d, said Dua, who is responsible for IBM\u2019s legal matters across Asia-Pacific. \u201c(The sessions also) helped build a deeper understanding of perspectives of other stakeholders.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Academy Conference on Aug 25, Law Minister Edwin Tong announced two initiatives that Singapore is making in international dispute resolution:<\/p>\n

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