The Permanent Court of Arbitration’s (PCA) recent announcement to set up an office of operations in Singapore was a simple matter of supply and demand, according to a legal counsel for the court.
When asked why the court chose Singapore over other Asian centres like Hong Kong, Ashwita Ambast, assistant legal counsel to the PCA, said the court “was invited to do so by the Singaporean government, given the rising number of PCA cases being administered in Singapore”.
“A permanent PCA staff presence in Singapore will make PCA services more readily accessible,” Ambast added. “Regarding Hong Kong, although there is no permanent staff presence, the PCA has entered into a host country agreement with China, which allows PCA staff to perform functions in Hong Kong under similar conditions to those guaranteed under the PCA’s Headquarters Agreement with the Netherlands.
