AI, sanctions and geopolitics: What they mean for businesses operating across borders
As businesses diversify where they operate, commercial disputes getting more complex.
As cross-border business disputes become increasingly intricate, legal professionals from across the globe will convene at Singapore Convention Week 2026 to discuss resolution strategies. In today's digital landscape, AI-driven tools are being utilized to draft reports, generate software code, and design client projects – streamlining processes but raising complex legal questions.
For instance, the use of AI may violate data rights, copyright laws, or involve model output disputes when data, models, and users are geographically dispersed.
These emerging challenges are compounded by geopolitical tensions compelling businesses to diversify their operations and additional regulatory layers such as sanctions exposure, data localization, and corporate governance rules. Singapore's reputation for neutrality, reliability, and the rule of law has grown in value to businesses operating across borders, according to the Ministry of Law's deputy secretary (Development) Charlene Chang.
The rule of law, which requires everyone, including the government, to abide by the law, will be a crucial aspect of addressing these challenges at Singapore Convention Week (SC Week) 2026.
Scheduled to take place from August 24 to 28, 2026, SC Week at locations including Shangri-La Singapore, Gillman Barracks, and Marina Bay Sands will focus on the theme "Timeless principles, timely solutions: Nurturing trust in a changing world". Previous editions of SC Week have seen over 5,600 participants engage in 60 events. The Singapore Convention on Mediation (SCM), which facilitates cross-border enforcement of mediated settlement agreements, has been a cornerstone of the event since its inception in 2019.
As of August 2026, SCM boasts 60 signatories, including China, India, and the United States, and over 20 contracting parties.
Singapore's dispute resolution ecosystem, featuring institutions like the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC), and Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC), instills confidence in businesses seeking a fair, efficient, and trusted resolution path. These institutions have contributed to attracting multinational corporations, investments, and high-value business activities to Singapore.
The upcoming SC Week will commemorate two significant milestones: SGLaw200, marking 200 years of Singapore's legal system, and the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). UNCITRAL Academy, co-organized by MinLaw and UNCITRAL, will feature a government capacity-building workshop on mediation and the SCM, offering insights for international leaders from legal, business, and government sectors.
Written by urgent.news from Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
