icc arbitration many different countries around the world, who are guided by the need to transcend cultural differences. The rules are not oriented towards either common law or civil law, but have a universal application. Flexibility allows parties to determine key aspects of the proceedings. This could be the place of arbitration, the rules used to resolve the dispute, the language in which proceedings are conducted, the manner in which evidence is presented, the identity of arbitrators who decide the dispute, and even the time limits. Predictability is achieved through fallback measures when parties are unable to agree. It is also achieved through the coherence in the administration of cases, objective criteria for determining costs, and the binding and final nature of awards rendered.
tion is currently taking place in Central and Eastern Europe and in Latin America, where the number of cases filed with the court has effectively doubled in the past two decades. At the same time, the number of parties from each of these regions has tripled for Central and Eastern Europe and grown 10-fold for Latin America and the Caribbean over the same time frame. ICC continues to extend the global reach of its dispute settlement activities. In recognition of the growing importance of the Asia-Pacific region, the ICC Court and the Secretariat of the ICC Court will open new offices in Hong Kong and Singapore. A branch of the Secretariat of the Court will be located in Hong Kong. A liaison office dedicated to ICC dispute resolution services will debut in Singapore.
Businesses can choose one or several ICC dispute resolution services tailored to their circumstances. For example, for urgent measures, arbitration can be combined with a pre-arbitral referee procedure; an expert’s opinion can be obtained on a point at issue; or to encourage a settlement by mutual agreement, an amicable dispute resolution procedure can be used. What sets ICC apart from other arbitration options is the ICC Court of Arbitration. The Court is a unique body, not only in its composition, but in the way it operates. The diversity of the members of the Court and its Secretariat – professional, geographical, and cultural – is what gives ICC arbitration its unparalleled scope. The most eloquent proof of the wide appeal of ICC arbitration today lies in the ever-widening global distribution of its users: last year, parties to the cases filed with ICC’s Court of Arbitration came from 126 different countries and territories, the highest ever, from economies of all types and at all stages of development. Today, the Court is used for international disputes of all kinds, from the simplest sales agreement to the most complex build-operate-transfer arrangement or shareholding structure. ICC procedures are also used to resolve investment-related disputes through bilateral investment treaties. The most striking expansion of ICC arbitra-
26 | sustaininggrowth
As globalization continues to evolve, ICC has its ear to the ground, and is able to mobilize these resources to ensure international arbitration remains a highly efficient and effective method of dispute resolution in tune with the times - today and tomorrow. ICC Hearing Centre opens for business Members of the international legal community gathered at a special event in October to celebrate the opening of the ICC Hearing Centre. Conveniently located in the centre of Paris, the ICC Hearing Centre is dedicated to arbitration hearings and other forms of commercial dispute resolution. It is the first such facility in Paris and can be used for disputes arising anywhere in the world. The 800 square meter Hearing Centre has opened in response to growing demand from business and legal communities. Last year, the number of new cases filed with the ICC International Court of Arbitration hit a record high of 599. “The increasing pace of globalization in recent years has naturally led to a growing number of business disputes worldwide,” said Jason Fry, Secretary General of the ICC International Court of Arbitration. “ICC has drawn on its many years of experience monitoring arbitration and mediations proceedings to create the custom-designed Hearing Centre,” he added.
Already, the Court has regional representatives serving as contact points and coordinating outreach in the Africa, the Americas, the Middle East and the United Kingdom. Alongside its dispute resolution activities, ICC also has a policy-making body that remains alert to legal and commercial trends in a changing economy. This corpus of 450 members around the world pools ideas, and studies practical legal and procedural issues relating to international dispute resolution. It is this dual capability that gives ICC arbitration a competitive edge: ICC’s unique position as the voice of enterprises worldwide due to its presence in 130 countries. ICC’s global scope means ICC has a special understanding of business needs, and a truly global perspective on trading issues, with direct experience of business practices.
The Hearing Centre is specially designed to meet practitioner’s needs and conduct hearings in optimal conditions. It comprises 10 soundproofed and secured rooms fully equipped with microphones, Internet connections, air conditioning, TV screens and projection systems. The rooms vary in size from 23 square meters to 110 square meters, with seating capacity up to 40 people. The largest rooms are also equipped with translation booths. The ICC Hearing Centre is available for any kind of institutional or ad hoc arbitration hearings as well as for the conduct of amicable dispute resolution (ADR) procedures. It may be reserved for hearings that use the ICC Rules of Arbitration and ICC ADR Rules, and those that do not.
Please visit www.icchearingcentre.org to review rates or to make a reservation. For more information about ICC’s Dispute Resolution Services, please visit www.iccwbo.org/court