The ICCA Cross-Institutional Task Force on Gender Diversity in Arbitral Appointments and Proceedings has announced, in conjunction with the XXVIth ICCA Congress, that it will update its report on gender diversity in arbitration for the second time. Originally formed in 2019 and comprising representatives from leading arbitral institutions and law firms globally, the Task Force published its first comprehensive report in 2020, analyzing statistics on the appointment of women arbitrators. The upcoming update, supported by ICCA and major law firms, will compile statistics from the past two years to assess ongoing progress and ensure continued focus on promoting gender diversity in arbitration.

The International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) has announced its 2026 Congress theme as 'International Arbitration: Local, Global or Both?' to be held in Madrid from 12-15 April 2026. The Congress programme committee, which includes Ana Stanič among its 12 members, will explore the balance between global arbitration standards and local practices. The event, hosted by the Club Español e Iberoamericano del Arbitraje, will examine how international arbitration can maintain cohesive global standards while preserving regional and cultural frameworks.

The International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) has announced changes to its leadership structure, with Audley Sheppard KC elected as President-Elect to succeed current President Stanimir Alexandrov in 2026. Dyalá Jiménez, former Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica, will assume the role of Vice President from 1 April 2025. Additionally, five new Governing Board Members have been appointed: Aisha Abdallah (Kenya), Chiann Bao (Singapore), Tunde Fagbohunlu (Nigeria), Shaneen Parikh (India) and Vladimir Pavić (Serbia), whilst Judith Gill has been re-elected for a second term. The new appointments will take effect from 1 April 2025, with the new board members formally joining at the ICCA-KIAC Conference in Kigali on 5 June 2025.

The International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) has announced the full programme for ICCA’s 26th Congress, taking place in Hong Kong from 5 to 8 May 2024. The theme of the 2024 Congress is ‘International Arbitration: A Human Endeavour’.

The International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Qatar International Center for Conciliation and Arbitration (QICCA) to incorporate previously unpublished arbitral awards from QICCA into the ICCA Awards Series. The agreement, formalised on 19 November 2024 at QICCA's 5th Global Conference on International Arbitration in Doha, will see QICCA's anonymised awards join over 650 existing arbitral decisions published by ICCA since 1976. This collaboration aims to enhance the accessibility of arbitral jurisprudence, with all awards to be made available through the Wolters Kluwer database, furthering ICCA's commitment to promoting transparency and knowledge-sharing in international commercial arbitration.

The International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) has launched a consultation on the Kigali Special Edition 2025 of its Drafting Sourcebook for Logistical Matters in Procedural Orders. This edition, launched alongside the ICCA-KIAC Rwanda Conference, forms part of ICCA’s ongoing initiative to provide practical drafting tools for arbitration practitioners. The Sourcebook comprises model clauses addressing logistical issues in arbitral proceedings, which are not covered by arbitration rules or legislation. It has been developed by a globally representative Drafting Committee to broaden access to procedural drafting resources. The feedback received will inform the next version of the Sourcebook, scheduled for presentation at the ICCA Congress in Madrid in 2026. The consultation closes on 31 July 2025.

The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICCA) has published its 2025 President's Report detailing the organisation's arbitration and dispute resolution activities throughout 2025. The report highlights the ICCA-KIAC Conference held in Kigali, Rwanda in June 2025, which attracted over 300 delegates and facilitated the launch of ICCA's Database of Historical African Dispute Resolution spanning three centuries of arbitral proceedings involving African governments or interests. ICCA's publications programme updated 17 country reports in the ICCA Handbook Commercial Arbitration and reported on 120 court decisions and 19 arbitral awards through the ICCA Yearbook and Awards Series, bringing ICCA's total published materials to approximately 3,600 curated judicial decisions and over 650 awards. The organisation's diversity initiatives provided funding for 29 participants to attend the conference through the ICCA Inclusion Fund and supported eight fellows through the Johnny Veeder Fellowship Programme. The ICCA Judiciary Committee conducted New York Convention Roadshows in Baghdad, Cairo, Lima and Riyadh as part of its outreach activities. The 27th ICCA Congress is scheduled for Madrid from 12-15 April 2026.

The International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) has published the 2026 update to the ‘Report of the Cross-Institutional Task Force on Gender Diversity in Arbitral Appointments and Proceedings’. The report finds that women’s representation on arbitral tribunals rose from 12.8% in 2015 to 25.3% in 2024, with women accounting for 37.7% of institutional appointments and 20.8% of party appointments in 2024. It also introduces a new section examining gender representation among expert witnesses in international arbitration, finding that women remain underrepresented and less likely to hold senior roles. In addition, the report examines repeat appointments and finds that an average of 40.7% of women’s appointments made by reporting institutions in 2024 were repeat appointments. ICCA states that the report aims to monitor progress in gender diversity and identify ways to increase the representation of women in arbitral appointments and proceedings.

The International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) has published the preliminary programme for its XXVIIth Congress, scheduled to take place in Madrid from 12–15 April 2026, under the theme 'International Arbitration: Local, Global or Both?'. The Congress will explore topics such as the balance between local practices and global standards, arbitration’s role in geopolitics, the impact of sanctions, space commerce and legitimacy in arbitration. A call for speakers has been issued, with expressions of interest due by 2 October 2025. Applicants must submit a CV, panel preferences and a brief statement of their unique perspective. Selected speakers will be required to submit publishable papers in advance, which will be included in the official Congress volume.

The International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) has announced that its 29th Congress will be held in Cape Town in 2030. This marks the first time that an ICCA Congress will take place in South Africa. The decision was reached at an ICCA governing board meeting in Madrid ahead of the 27th ICCA Congress, running from 12–15 April 2026. The 28th ICCA Congress will be held in San Francisco from 7–10 May 2028.

The International Chamber of Commerce Croatia (ICCC) has announced that it is holding its Annual Regional Conference on Arbitration and ADR – Construction Projects Disputes on 7 and 8 October 2024 in Dubrovnik. The conference is aimed at providing participants with updates on the latest insights, trends and developments in construction project preparation, dispute management and dispute resolution.

The Secretariat of the International Court of Arbitration International Chamber of Commerce [Address of an approved ICC office and by email to the relevant address for the office] [Date] Dear [ICC Secretariat], [Insert ICC Reference number] Answer to Request for Arbitration: [Party names] [Law firm case reference number] We confirm that we act on behalf of [name of respondent party], the Respondent party in the above arbitration proceedings. The Respondent received your letter dated [Insert date] plus enclosures including the request for arbitration (the Request) on [Insert ]. Pursuant to article 5 of the 2021 ICC Rules of Arbitration (ICC Rules), we enclose the Respondent’s answer to the request for arbitration and counterclaim (the Answer). [The Respondent requests, in accordance with art 5(3) of the ICC Rules, that the Secretariat transmits the Answer by delivery against receipt, registered post or courier. We enclose [number] copies.] Kindly acknowledge receipt of this Answer. Yours faithfully, [Name of Respondent's counsel] IN THE MATTER OF AN ARBITRATION CASE NO. [ ] UNDER THE RULES OF THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF ARBITRATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BETWEEN: [INSERT PARTY NAME] Claimant and [INSERT PARTY NAME] Respondent _________________________________________________ ANSWER TO THE REQUEST FOR ARBITRATION [AND COUNTERCLAIM] _________________________________________________ Name of representative Address Telephone