Launch of the Guidelines on Standards of Practice in International Arbitration

ICCA is pleased to announce the launch of the Guidelines on Standards of Practice in International Arbitration, developed by ICCA’s Task Force on Standards of Practice in International Arbitration. The Task Force was created to identify and promote minimum civility standards within the international arbitration community.  Following a period of public consultation at the end of 2020, the Task Force has finalized the Guidelines and they are now available online.

The Guidelines on Standards of Practice are intended to serve as guiding principles of civility in the field, reflecting the many cultures and situations in which international arbitration is employed. The international expertise of the Task Force members, drawn from the diverse jurisdictions in which they practise, has been key to ensuring that the Guidelines reflect the broad consensus in the international arbitration community as to the general principles of civility expected of all participants during the course of an international arbitration.

While the Guidelines are not intended as mandatory rules, Task Force Co-Chairs Abby Cohen Smutny (Global Head of International Arbitration, White & Case) and Prof. Dr. Guido S. Tawil (Independent Arbitrator and ICCA Advisory Board Member) highlight the way in which they may be used in practice to articulate prevailing expectations, saying:

"The Guidelines may be incorporated by parties in their arbitration agreement, adopted by arbitral institutions, or included by arbitral tribunals in a procedural order or in the terms of reference where appropriate."

ICCA President Lucy Reed welcomes the launch of the Guidelines, saying:

"The Guidelines on Standards of Practice in International Arbitration distill the basic civility and related ethical conduct we all have a right to expect and demand in international arbitration.  The Guidelines will stand as a ready reference for arbitrators and counsel alike, setting out the international consensus on positive standards of practice. On behalf of ICCA, I thank Guido, Abby and all members of the Task Force for this important contribution."

The members of the Task Force on Standards of Practice in International Arbitration are:

Co-Chairs

Abby Cohen Smutny

Guido S. Tawil

Rapporteurs

Federico Campolieti

Jennifer Glasser

Michele Potestà

Members

Mohamed Abdel Wahab

Babatunde Ajibade

David Arias

Lijun Cao

Bernard Hanotiau

Christian Leathley

Judith Levine

Feisal Naqvi

Joe Neuhaus

Martina Polasek

Ina Popova

Ana Serra e Moura

Nathalie Voser

Alvin Yeo

The Guidelines are published as the ninth volume of the ICCA Reports Series. Earlier volumes of the Series, a collection of occasional papers prepared by ICCA interest groups and task forces, are available here.