Report of the ICCA Cross-Institutional Task Force on Gender Diversity in Arbitral Appointments and Proceedings to be Updated
In conjunction with the XXVIth ICCA Congress, the ICCA Cross-Institutional Task Force on Gender Diversity in Arbitral Appointments and Proceedings is thrilled to announce that it will be proceeding with an updated edition of its Report.
The Task Force was assembled in 2019 by Chair Carolyn Lamm, a partner at White & Case LLP in Washington, D.C., with Deputy Chairs Jennifer Ivers of White & Case LLP and Nicola Peart of Three Crowns LLP. The Task Force originally consisted of representatives from 17 leading arbitral institutions, law firms, and diversity initiatives from around the world. In 2020, the Task Force published its first Report, which was the first comprehensive effort to publish and analyze recent statistics on the appointment of women arbitrators, as well as to identify opportunities and best practices for the promotion of women in the arbitration field.
Following the publication of its initial Report, the Task Force continued to grow, reaching a total of 32 members representing 28 arbitral institutions, law firms, organizations, and diversity initiatives by 2022. During the XXVth ICCA Congress in September 2022, the Task Force launched an Update to its Report, analyzing and presenting updated statistics on the appointment of women arbitrators based on data collected from a total of 26 arbitral institutions globally.
In light of continued support from ICCA and its Diversity and Inclusion Committee (chaired by Sylvia Noury) and Bureau (led by Lise Bosman), as well as from the Task Force’s members, including in particular White & Case LLP, Three Crowns LLP, and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, the Task Force has decided to embark on the process of compiling statistics from the past two years to publish a Second Update to its original 2020 Report. As Chair Carolyn Lamm notes, “we applaud the progress we were able to report - due in part to good work of the ERA Pledge - and look forward to assessing whether we can document continued success. Continued focus on this important issue helps to ensure continued progress.”