Renewed ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR delegations and Steering Committee scores high on diversity

At the 20th ICC Miami Conference on International Arbitration held on 29 October 2022, the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR gathered with a renewed membership and announced the new composition of its Steering Committee, following the appointment of eight additional Vice-Chairs.

After a call for nominations in the Spring, 22 candidates stepped forward, many of them nominated from their respective ICC National Committee. In consultation with the Commission Chair Melanie van Leeuwen and after careful consideration of all eligible candidates, ICC appointed the following persons as Vice-Chairs for a first term expiring 31 June 2024:

• Mr Philippe Cavalieros (France)
• Ms Payel Chatterjee (India)
• Ms Sapna Jhangiani Kc (UK, Singapore)
• Ms Evelyne Memphil (Cameroon)
• Ms Aisha Nadar (Egypt, Sweden, USA)
• Mr Karim J. Nassif (UAE, Lebanon)
• Ms Helen Tang (China)
• Ms Debora Visconte (Brasil)

The newly appointed Vice-Chairs are talented, qualified and experienced Arbitration and ADR professionals, as well as leading figures in their respective jurisdictions and regions. Their appointment reflects not only leadership of the highest calibre but also meets ICC’s commitments to gender and regional diversity.

The new Vice-Chairs will join the current Vice-Chairs who have all accepted to serve a second term expiring on 31 June 2024.

The addition of Vice-Chairs was required to ensure that the Commission’s Steering Committee strikes the right balance between established and emerging jurisdictions as well as arbitration hubs. The Commission Chair Melanie van Leeuwen will now benefit from a fully newly constituted Steering Committee which equally includes includes ex officio members:

• Claudia Salomon, President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration
• Alexander Fessas, Secretary General of the International Court of Arbitration and Director for ICC Dispute Resolution Services
• Victoria Orlowski, President of the Standing Committee of ICC International Centre for ADR
• Eduardo Silva Romero, Chair of the ICC Institute of World Business Law
• Hélène van Lith, Manager of ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR.

The Steering Committee determines the Commission’s priorities and oversees it activities and initiatives. It also provides strategic guidance and reviews quality assurance on content of Commission Reports and other outputs.

The newly constituted Commission met for the first time at its Miami meeting, after 70 ICC National Committees reviewed and appointed their Delegation. The renewal of the Commission’s membership applied similar principles and diversity goals as for its Steering Committee and aimed at a balanced and proportionate representation of jurisdictions around the globe. Bringing together over 1,300 experts in arbitration and ADR from over 100 countries, the Commission’s global reach and rich diversity will enable it to continue delivering on its thought leadership role in the field of international dispute resolution.

Ms van Leeuwen said: “The Steering Committee is extremely pleased with the eight new members that have joined. The first meeting of the Commission in its renewed composition demonstrated an impressive degree of expertise, an inspiring level of energy, and a seamless engagement between members across the globe. We are particularly pleased to count among our members 119 corporate representatives, who will allow the Commission to better understand the dispute resolution needs of small, medium and large businesses around the globe. In order to ensure that the Commission will continue delivering on its role of thought leader in arbitration and ADR, as it has over the past 100 years, the Steering Committee has been reinforced by eight incredibly talented Vice-Chairs who connect the Commission directly to markets and industries that drive today’s economic developments and tomorrow’s disputes.”

Ms van Lith said: “After many months of extensive efforts with our 90+ National Committees, today our renewed membership reflects a better geographical representation with the inclusion of Delegates from emerging jurisdictions and important progress has been made towards gender diversity, professional diversity and corporate engagement. We are fortunate that some of the finest legal minds active in international dispute resolution have joined the Steering Committee as new Vice Chairs, which will ensure that the Commission is ready for its next century”.

The ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR’s mission is to gather expertise on arbitration and ADR across the ICC network to enable thought leadership, in line with the strategic objectives of ICC Dispute Resolution Services, and to channel expertise to inform the development of activities led by other ICC DRS departments. The Commission also provides input and elaborates on proposed modifications of dispute resolution rules and produces reports and other official ICC documents such as recommendations to raise awareness and understanding on practical issues in arbitration and ADR. The Commission has currently three active Task Forces: Disability Inclusion in international arbitration, Addressing Issues of Corruption in International Arbitration, and ADR and Arbitration.

The commission normally holds two in person (hybrid) meetings per year with the next meeting scheduled to take place on 28 March 2023 in Paris during Paris Arbitration Week, after the 7th ICC European Conference on International Arbitration, 27 March 2023.

For more information visit the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR.