Diversity

ICC wins award for advancing inclusivity in arbitration

22 March 2024

ICC has been awarded the Equal Representation in Arbitration (ERA) Pledge Award for exceptional contributions to promoting diversity and inclusion. The announcement was made last night at the prestigious Global Arbitration Review (GAR) Awards ceremony in Paris. It is the second time ICC has been recognised in this category.

The ERA Pledge Award acknowledges outstanding efforts in achieving gender diversity in international arbitration, recognising individuals, organisations, committees, or groups that have demonstrated remarkable dedication to enhancing gender representation within the field. This year, the ICC International Court of Arbitration was honoured for its groundbreaking work in advancing disability inclusion in arbitration and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) through the launch of a groundbreaking guide.

Produced by the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR’s Task Force on Disability Inclusion in International Arbitration, co-chaired by Simon Maynard, Katherine Ramo and Todd Weiler, the ICC Guide for Disability Inclusion in International Arbitration and ADR provides clear guidance to address and accommodate the needs of people with disabilities participating in arbitral and ADR procedures, or other activities and events in the field of dispute prevention and resolution.

Simon Maynard and Todd Weiler, emphasised the significance of this initiative saying the guide was an essential first step to placing disability on a level playing field with other protected characteristics. It allows practitioners to educate themselves about the meaning of disability and how it can intersect with the practice of arbitration.

ICC first won the ERA Pledge Award in 2022 for establishing an LGBTQIA network and launching the Disability Task Force. Diversity and inclusion are core values of ICC, given their integral role in fostering peace, prosperity and opportunity for all.

Other prestigious accolades at the 2024 GAR Awards included a Lifetime Achievement Award for Michael E. Schneider, founding partner of LALIVE and Senior Counsel for his unparalleled experience spanning over 40 years as counsel and international arbitrator. Michael E Schneider is a former vice chair of the ICC Commission on Arbitration, and has been a member of several of its working groups (1998 and 2009 revisions of the ICC rules, construction, pre-arbitral referee).

Learn more about ICC’s diversity initiatives