On Thursday, January 28, there will be a special sitting of the Senate specifically to Ratify the United Nations Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards. It would appear that the move is specifically designed so that awards which are outstanding on Michael Ashcroft-related judgements to now be legally paid. The Government of Belize has awards which are outstanding to the Ashcroft Alliance but have not been paid since it needs parliamentary approval and the Government had not yet ratified the convention. The move now paves the way so that the Ashcroft Alliance can be paid the sums which are in the hundreds of millions of dollars.