Urgent COVID-19 message to DRS community

This is an urgent communication to ICC dispute resolution users, arbitrators and other neutrals in pending and future ICC Arbitration and ADR proceedings.

Over the past two months and as the COVID-19 outbreak continues to unfold worldwide, the safety of our staff and business continuity have been – and remain – our top priorities.

In this regard, we wish to advise you of the following:

A. Current status

1. All offices of the Secretariat of the ICC Court and the ICC ADR Centre are operational.
2. Staff members are healthy and working remotely via mobile posts. Special arrangements have been put in place and will likely remain in force for the immediate future.

B. General rule

1. We strongly advise that all your communications with the Secretariat of the ICC Court/ICC ADR Centre be conducted by email.

2. The Secretariat of the ICC Court/ICC ADR Centre are equally observing the same rule for case management purposes and any other activity.

We also urge you to observe the following steps which we consider essential in maintaining operational stability:

C. New requests for arbitration/ADR

5. Requests for arbitration (including pertinent exhibits) should be filed with the Secretariat by email at this address. Further information and additional contact details are provided here.

6. Applications for emergency arbitrator (including pertinent exhibits) should be filed with the Secretariat by email at this address. Further information and additional contact details are provided here.

7. Requests in other ADR proceedings (including pertinent exhibits) should be filed with the ADR Centre by email at this address. Further information and additional contact details are provided here.

Pending proceedings

8. If you need to send any correspondence (including awards and ADR decisions) in pending proceedings by courier or post to us, it is important that you promptly inform your case management team ahead of dispatch.

9. We welcome your queries and comments with regard to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on hearings and other meetings. You may contact your case management team at any time.

Other

Finally, please note that at the time of publication of this communication – 17 March 2020:

10. Hearings and other meetings scheduled to take place at the ICC Hearing Centre in Paris until 13 April 2020 have been postponed or cancelled. For information on future bookings, please contact the ICC Hearing Centre at this address.

11. All business travel by staff members has been suspended.

12. Meetings scheduled to take place at our offices worldwide are being conducted virtually.

Against the current exceptional background, we are committed to pursuing our work with the least impact possible. We appreciate your understanding of the reasons behind these arrangements and are grateful for your trust.

Sending you our best wishes for the times that lie ahead, knowing we can get through them together.

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