ICC Commission on Arbitration meets in Singapore

The commission’s semi-annual meetings provide the opportunity for its various task forces to report on work in progress. On this occasion, the meeting included keynote presentations by local specialists on arbitration in the region. Singapore’s Honourable Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Law, Shanmugham Jayakumar, spoke on his country’s role in the development of arbitration in the region, while Sumeet Kachwaha, from the Bar Association of the Indian Supreme Court, spoke on arbitration in India. Jingzhou Tao, member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, gave a presentation on arbitration in China.

Introducing the meeting, Peter Wolrich, Chair of the commission said: “This is a significant occasion, since it is the first time in several decades that the Commission on Arbitration is holding a meeting outside of Paris. Doing so, however, reflects the nature of our commission. We have over 490 members from more than 90 countries and are thus a truly international body.”

Commission meetings attract delegates from ICC national committees all over the globe. The Asia Pacific region was strongly represented at Sunday’s meeting, with participants from Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Cheng Yee Khong, the ICC International Court of Arbitration’s Regional Director for Asia, welcomed the decision to hold the meeting in Singapore. “The event has greatly enhanced ICC’s visibility in the region and provided an opportunity for direct exchanges between ICC policy makers and dispute resolution specialists in the region.”

ICC places great importance on the accessibility of its dispute resolution services throughout the world. Over recent years, the International Court of Arbitration has expanded its regional representation and is now present in North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and the United Kingdom, as well as in Asia.