The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has published its 2024 Annual Report highlighting the administration of 243 cases, including 51 new proceedings and marks the PCA's 125th anniversary. The report details the Third Congress of the Members of the Court, held from 12 to 14 June 2024 at the Peace Palace in The Hague, which gathered 344 participants from 109 countries to reaffirm the PCA’s role in peaceful international dispute settlement. Additionally, the accession of the Republic of Vanuatu and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste as the 123rd and 124th Contracting Parties reflects international confidence in the PCA’s mission. The PCA also established a new Host Country Agreement with Paraguay. Cases administrated during the year involved partes from over 118 states. There were also 51 requests relating to PCA's appointing services.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has published its 2025 Annual Report highlighting the administration of 251 cases, including 53 new proceedings—the second highest figure over the 2021–2025 period. The cases involved parties from over 119 states, with at least 1 disputing party drawn from each of the United Nations Regional Groups. Armenia, Moldova and Indonesia acceded as the PCA's 125th, 126th and 127th Contracting Parties, reflecting the international community's confidence in the PCA's mission of peaceful dispute resolution through arbitration. Host Country Agreements with Brazil and Ecuador entered into force, while new agreements were concluded with Bahrain and Colombia, expanding the PCA's capacity to hold hearings and meetings worldwide. The PCA also received 46 requests relating to its appointing authority services.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has published its contribution to the 2024 report of the United Nations Secretary-General on oceans and the law of the sea. The contribution provides information on the latest developments in regard to the oceans and the law of the sea.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has published its contribution to the 2025 report of the UN Secretary-General on oceans and the law of the sea. The document highlights the PCA's recent initiatives and ongoing work in maritime dispute resolution, as well as related outreach activities and educational initiatives through conferences and lectures over the past year. The report provides updates on two ongoing Ukraine-Russia arbitrations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS): the Dispute Concerning Coastal State Rights in the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and Kerch Strait, Case No 2017-06, instituted in September 2016, and the Dispute Concerning the Detention of Ukrainian Naval Vessels and Servicemen, Case No 2019-28, instituted in April 2019, where Russia suspended participation following disputed arbitrator appointments. The PCA also reports signing new Host Country Agreements with Brazil and Ecuador, and the addition of Vanuatu, Timor-Leste and Armenia as member states. The PCA is currently administering 215 cases, including seven inter-state arbitrations.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) signed a Host Country Agreement with Colombia on 30 September 2025, enabling PCA-administered proceedings to be conducted within Colombian territory. Under the agreement, Colombia will provide facilities, office space, and secretarial services at no cost to disputing parties, while granting privileges and immunities to arbitrators and case participants. Colombia has become the 19th country to conclude such an agreement with the PCA, joining nations including Argentina, Brazil, China, India, and Singapore in the PCA's policy of expanding dispute resolution services beyond its Hague headquarters.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has entered into a Cooperation Agreement with Brazil's Federal Court of the Second Region (TRF2) on 6 March 2025. The agreement establishes a framework for facilitating PCA operations in Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro states, while promoting alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. The agreement also supports implementation of the PCA-Brazil Host Country Agreement which entered into force on 8 January 2025. The signing ceremony took place at the Peace Palace in The Hague with representatives from both institutions present.

The Pubs Code Adjudicator (PCA) has announced that it will be gathering and assessing information on Stonegate after it identified historic breaches of the Pubs Code in relation to the provision of Rent Proposals for new tied agreements. The Pubs Code requires the pub company to provide the tenant with a Rent Proposal where it proposes a new agreement, prior to the tenant considering independent professional advice, such as business, legal, property and rental valuation advice. The tenant must also take this advice before they prepare their business plan. Stonegate had instead provided the Rent Proposal after the tenant had produced their initial business plan, which it has said it had rectified in the 2021 to 2022 reporting period and will be continuing to cooperate with the PCA in this matter, including to identify how many tenants have been affected by non-compliance, and any detriment caused.

Mealey’s: A Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) tribunal recently issued an award in which it dismissed a US seaport investor’s claims against the Republic of Estonia for allegedly interfering with, harming and eventually judicially expropriating its investment, causing it approximately US$206m in damages, while dismissing Estonia’s objections to jurisdiction and admissibility and ordering the parties to split equally the arbitration costs of approximately €3m.

This Practice Note considers the role of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) as an appointing authority and as a default designating authority in international arbitration proceedings, and other administrative services, including registry services, provided by the PCA in cases which are not conducted under the institution’s own arbitration rules. For guidance on arbitration proceedings pursuant to the PCA Arbitration Rules, see: PCA arbitration—overview. History of the PCA and its institutions Before considering the current practical role of the PCA in the resolution of international disputes, it is instructive to understand some of its history. The PCA came into existence in the late 1880s, a fraught period that saw increases in international tension and the sophistication of weapons, with the use of armed force seen to be the primary way for countries to attain their aims and resolve international disputes (S Rosenne, The Hague Peace Conferences of 1899 and 1907 and International Arbitration—Reports and Documents (TMC Asser Press, 2001) (Rosenne), xv; G Best, Peace Conferences and the Century of Total War:

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The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), who represent approximately 185,000 workers in the civil service, announced it will use the Human Rights Act 1998 to challenge the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 implemented in December 2023.