Tommy Koh: Negotiating with Mind and Heart

Tommy Koh, a veteran Singaporean diplomat and professor, has been central to some of the world’s most complex and historic negotiations, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III), the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, and the United States–Singapore Free Trade Agreement (USSFTA). Renowned for his deep intellect, high emotional and cultural intelligence, and unwavering commitment to fairness, Koh has consistently demonstrated how thoughtful negotiation strategies, such as “miniaturizing” large conferences into smaller working groups and proactively engaging key stakeholders, can produce landmark agreements. His ability to forge trust across divergent interests reflects a hallmark emphasis on building relationships, acknowledging cultural nuances, and ensuring transparent processes. By acting as a neutral “choreographer and conductor,” he successfully guided hundreds of governments toward consensus on issues like deep-seabed mining and climate change, and later overcame major power imbalances in forging Singapore’s relations with China and negotiating the USSFTA. Throughout his career, Koh has espoused a leadership style that balances the “art” and “science” of negotiation, believing that technical rigor, emotional sensitivity, and cultural awareness are equally vital. His enduring legacy underscores how even smaller states or less powerful parties can negotiate effectively with world powers, fostering both national interest and global cooperation.