Welcoming Remarks by His Excellency Mr. Kasit Piromya Minister of Foreign Affairs At the SIFA Special Lecture on “Resolving International Disputes through Arbitration” at Naradhip Hall, Ministry of Foreign Affairs 22 May 2009, 10.00 Hours
Excellencies,
Distinguished Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is an honour and a privilege for me to extend a very warm welcome to you all to the SIFA Special Lecture on “Resolving International Disputes through Arbitration”.
Disputes have always been part of mankind. When it comes to vital national interests, an international dispute, if escalated, can pose serious consequences for peace and stability. As a country that has seen its share of regional conflicts, Thailand is keenly aware of the importance of resolving disputes peacefully. But this is not always easy to achieve. Not only must the dispute be settled through peaceful means, it must also be done in a manner that both parties recognize as legitimate and equitable. In this respect, third party dispute settlement is an approach that promises to be both practical and impartial.
Among the whole spectrum of dispute settlement mechanisms, arbitration, especially through the Permanent Court of Arbitration, has attracted much interest. As a modern, multi-faceted arbitral institution, the PCA facilitates arbitration and other forms of dispute resolution. These include good offices and mediation for the resolution of disputes involving states, state entities, intergovernmental organizations, and private parties. The cases conducted under PCA auspices cover a wide range of legal issues, including disputes over territorial and maritime boundaries, sovereignty, human rights, investor-state arbitration, and matters concerning international and regional trade.
Thailand’s involvement with PCA started in 1900 when Thailand became a Party to the 1899 Hague Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes, and later in 1910, a Party to the 1907 Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes. Currently Thailand remains an active member of the PCA, with four Thai nationals having served as members of the Court, namely, Their Excellencies Dr. Arun Panupong, Mr. Sansern Kraichitti, Mr. Suchinda Yongsunthon, and Dr. Prajit Rojanaphruk.
Our distinguished speaker today, His Excellency Mr. Tjaco van den Hout, Ambassador of the Netherlands, is an international authority on inter-State arbitration. He has a distinguished diplomatic career, in both bilateral and multilateral postings, including the Permanent Mission of the Netherlands to the UN in New York, and at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Deputy Permanent Secretary. Between 1999 and 2008, he was elected twice to the post of Secretary-General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration before returning to the diplomatic service. During those nine years, in addition to his important job, he also lectured extensively on aspects of inter-state dispute resolution at universities, diplomatic institutes and public international law associations around the world. He is author of several articles in law journals and newspapers on inter-state arbitration.
It is a great honor to have Ambassador van den Hout share with us his thoughts and insights on dispute settlement through arbitration, in particular the Permanent Court of Arbitration. I now have the honour to invite His Excellency Ambassador Tjaco van den Hout to deliver his lecture, after which he has kindly agreed to take questions and comments from the floor.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th