Controversy and change at 2012 ICCA Congress

ICCA's 21st Congress in Singapore (10-13 June 2012) was characterized by controversial debate not seen at recent Congresses. Encouraged by ICCA President Jan Paulsson's opening remarks to be "iconoclastic and controversial", the tone of the Congress was set by a Keynote Address by Singapore Attorney-General, Sundaresh Menon (recently elected a member of ICCA's Governing Board), calling for self-regulation of the arbitration industry. (See full speech here.) Not all speakers agreed, with London-based barrister Toby Landau QC arguing in a later session that over-regulation might "cure the disease but kill the patient."

The next ICCA Congress will be held in Miami on 6-9 April 2014. Also during the ICCA Congress, the ICCA Governing Board voted to accept a bid from Mauritius to host the 2016 ICCA Congress. This will be the first time that an ICCA Congress will be held in Africa since ICCA was established over 50 years ago, and signals a commitment by ICCA to expand its activities outside the main arbitration centres.

In other news from Singapore, ICCA launched a membership drive for a new category of general membership - with new members able to apply either on-line through this website or by filling in or downloading application forms. New members will be involved in ICCA's interest groups, task forces and study groups.