Joint statement on arbitration and coronavirus (COVID-19) issued by group of arbitral institutions

A group of prominent international arbitral institutions and the International Federation of Commercial Arbitration Institutions (IFCAI) have issued a joint statement on the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The statement notes that parties and tribunals have been turning to arbitral institutions for information and guidance in light of the crisis. As cooperation and collaboration considered to be a key part of an effective response to the virus, the institutions state they are committed to working together at this time for this purpose.

The ambition of the group is to 'support international arbitration's ability to contribute to stability and foreseeability in a highly unstable environment, including by ensuring that pending cases may continue and that parties may have their cases heard without undue delay.'

The institutions encourage parties and arbitrators to discuss the impact of the pandemic and potential ways to address it in an open and constructive manner. It is perhaps telling that these key participants in the arbitral process are also asked to 'mitigate the effects of any impediments to the largest extent possible while ensuring the fairness and efficiency of arbitral proceedings. In so doing, they are invited to use the full extent of our respective institutional rules and any case management techniques that may permit arbitrations to substantially progress without undue delay despite such impediments.'

The statement also recognises the importance of collaboration as each institution looks to ensure they make best use of digital technologies available for working remotely.

The institutions involved in the initiative are listed as:

• CRCICA (the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration)

• DIS (the German Arbitration Institute)

• ICC (the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce)

• ICDR/AAA (the International Centre for Dispute Resolution/American Arbitration Association)

• ICSID (the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes)

• KCAB (the Korean Commercial Arbitration Board)

• LCIA (the London Court of International Arbitration)

• the Milan Chamber of Arbitration

• HKIAC (the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre)

• SCC (the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce)

• SIAC (the Singapore International Arbitration Centre)

• VIAC (the Vienna International Arbitration Centre)

• IFCAI

Source: ARBITRATION AND COVID-19: INSTITUTIONS SPEAK WITH ONE VOICE

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