Policy commissions

The Commission on Arbitration and ADR is ICC Disputes Resolution Services’ unique think tank and rule making body that provides thought leadership in the field of dispute resolution. It leverages the expertise of practitioners and members to raise awareness and understanding on the practical and legal issues in arbitration and ADR.   

To ensure that latest legislative and technological developments meet the evolving needs of practitioners and businesses everywhere, the commission leads the revisions to the range of rules for dispute resolution prior to their submission to the Executive Board for approval. 

In its research capacity, the commission proposes new policies and provides useful tools in the interest of efficient and cost-effective implementation of dispute resolution procedures. Carrying out specific projects in Task Force or Working Groups, the commission’s work results in concrete guidelines and practical reports on the legal, procedural and practicality of dispute resolution which are published in free booklets  and electronic format on the ICC website or in the ICC Bulletin.  

The commission’s Membership consists of Delegates appointed by national committees) as well as ICC Court Members and counts over 1,300 members from more than 100 countries comprising lawyers, in-house counsel, arbitrators, mediators, law professors and experts in various dispute resolution fields. 

The Commission meets, at least, twice each year to discuss and approve reports and guideliness. 

The  Commission’s steering committee, comprising the Chair and Vice-Chairs along with other representatives of ICC Dispute Resolution Services, meets regularly during the year to discuss and agree upon the overall action plan for the commission, including proposals to establish new task forces. 

The commission is a unique think tank for ICC Dispute Resolution Services. In its research capacity, the commission  produces reports,  toolkits and other guidance to innovate and promote efficient and cost-effective dispute resolution in view of the latest developments.  

Get in touch with the ICC Arbitration and ADR Commission: 

• Dr. Hélène van Lith ,  Secretary to the Commission 
• Commission Project Officer Isabel Kerr 
• commission.arbitrationADR@iccwbo.org

STEERING COMMITTEE   

Chair

Mélanie van Leeuwen  Derains & Gharavi (The Netherlands; based in Paris)

Vice-Chairs

Babatunde Ajibade, SAN  S. P. A. Ajibade & Co. (Lagos, Nigeria)  José Ricardo Feris   Squire Patton Boggs (Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Spain; based in Paris) Susanne Gropp-Stadler   Siemens Mobility GmbH (Germany; based in Munich)  Vladimir Khvalei  Mansors (Russia; based in Moscow) Caline Mouawad   Chaffetz Lindsey (Lebanon, United States; based in New York) Sharif Ali Zu’bi  Ali Sharif Zu’bi Advocates & Legal Consultants (Jordan; based in Amman) Philippe Cavalieros  Simmons & Simmons (France)  Payel Chatterjee  Adani Enterprises Limited (India)  Sapna Jhangiani QC  Attorney-General’s Chambers, (Singapore)  Evelyne Memphil   Memphil Avocats – (Cameroon, France)  Aisha Nadar   Advokatfirman Runeland (United States; based in Sweden)  Karim J. Nassif   Nassif Arbitration (Lebanon, based in United Arab Emirates)  Helen Tang, HSF Herbert Smith Freehills (China)  Debora Visconte  Visconte Advogados (Brazil)    Claudia Salomon, President ICC Court, Claudia Salomon  Alexander Fessas, Secretary General ICC Court  Victoria Orlowski, President Standing Committee of ADR Centre,   Eduardo Silva Romero, Chair ICC Institute of World Business Law,   Dr. Hélène van Lith ,  Secretary to the Commission

Task Force Disability Inclusion in International Arbitration

This Task Force aims to study and analyse the ways in which ICC can meet the needs of those in the international arbitration community who may need accommodations or changes for the way they work. Yas Banifatemi and Albert Jan van den Berg were named as the Task Force’s Awareness Ambassadors. 

Co-Chairs 

• Simon Maynard 
  King & Spalding (United Kingdom) 
• Katherine Ramo 
  CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang (United Kingdom) 
• Todd Weiler 
  Independent Arbitrator (Canada) 

Task Force on ADR and Arbitration 

This Task Force aims to assist in the efficient resolution of disputes for ICC users through the study and analysis of how different ICC ADR services are currently being used and the Task Force purpose is to find solutions in a post-COVID-19 world, including technology options when (1) assessing the most appropriate procedures when a dispute arises and (2) assisting users in building ADR procedures into their internal systems. 

The Task Force is structured into four areas of work: 

• Disputes resolution protocols 
• ADR services 
• Settlements in arbitration 
• National Courts and ADR 

The Task Force benefits from a consultative Advisory Board, which includes Gabrielle Kaufmann Kohler, Michael McIlwrath, Cyril Dumoulin, Edna Sussman and Hannah Tümpel. 

Co-Chairs 

• Chiann Bao 
  Independent Arbitrator (United States/Hong Kong) 

• Christopher Newmark 
  Spenser Underhill Newmark (United Kingdom) 

Task Force Addressing Issues of Corruption in International Arbitration 

This Task Force aims to explore existing approaches to allegations or signs of corruption in disputes and articulate guidance for arbitral tribunals on how to deal with such occurrences. The Task Force benefits from close collaboration with the ICC Corporate Responsibility and Anti-Corruption Commission and  the International Bar Association (IBA).  

Co-Chairs 

• José Ricardo Feris 
  Squire Patton Boggs (France/Dominican Republic) 
• Vladimir Khvalei 
  Mansors (Russia; based in Moscow) 
• Sophie Nappert 
  3 Verulam Buildings Chambers (United Kingdom/Canada) 

The ICC Guide on National Rules of Procedure for Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Awards Pursuant to the New York Convention of 1958 

This guide is a practical resource for international arbitration practitioners and users.  First launched in 2008, it is designed to be consulted as a first step when considering recognition and enforcement of foreign awards in one or more countries and is regularly updated. The third edition of the guide   covers 85 countries.  

Commission mandate

To serve as a global forum and rule-making body for banks worldwide, with particular focus on the financing of international trade; and to help policymakers and standard setters create a regulatory framework that facilitates trade finance throughout the world.

Get in touch with the ICC Global Banking Commission:

• Tomasch Kubiak, Policy Manager, tel: 33 (0)1 49 53 28 57

Commission Chair	Lynn Ng, Global Head of Commodities, Food and Agri, ING (Netherlands)
Commission Vice-Chairs	Mencia Bobo, Global Head of Trade & Working Capital Solutions, Santander Corporate & Investment Banking (Spain) Marilyn Blattner-Hoyle, Global Head Trade Finance, Director, Corporate Solutions Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd (Switzerland) Merlin Dowse, Global Trade Product Manager, J.P. Morgan (US) Andrew Kigira, Group Head of Trade Products, Equity Bank Ltd (Kenya) Maria Jose Llabot, Head of International, Banco de la Provincial de Córdoba (Argentina) Samuel-John Mathew, Global Head of Flow & FI Trade, Standard Chartered (Singapore) Caryn Pace-Messenger, Director, Bank of America (United States) Surath Sengupta, Managing Director & Global Head – FI, Portfolio & Distribution, HSBC (UK) Louise Taylor Digby, Head of Global Trade Strategy, SWIFT (Singapore) Florian Witt, Managing Director, Divisional Head, International Banking and Corporate Banking; Member of the Group Business Executive Committee, ODDO BHF (Germany) Xu Jun, Deputy General Manager, Global Transaction Banking, Bank of China (China)
Technical Advisers	Dave Meynell  Owner TradeLC Advisory (United Kingdom) Glenn Ransier  Global Standby Letters of Credit and Demand Guarantee Product Manager Wells Fargo Bank (United States) Kim Sindberg  Trade Finance Consultant Sindberg Consult (Denmark)

Commission mandate
To set global business standards for international B2B transactions and provide world business input on commercial rules developed by intergovernmental organisations.

Get in touch with the ICC Global Commercial Law and Practice Commission

• Emily O’Connor, Director of Trade and Investment, tel: 33 (0)1 49 53 28 26

Chair

Ercument Erdem Partner Erdem & Erdem (Turkey)

Vice-Chair

Ghada Darwish Founder and Managing Partner Ghada M. Darwish Law Firm Qatar GAO Xiang Executive Chairman of ICC China CLP Commission and Professor of Law Centre of International Banking Law & Practice, CUPL China Valle Garcia de Novales Founder and Partner VG/N Asesoria Juridica para Comercio Exterior Spain Wale Olawoyin  Managing Partner, Professor Olawoyin + Olawoyin + Professor at University of Lagos  Nigeria