Ethnic diversity in international arbitration
This study seeks to examine ethnic diversity in international arbitration. The IBA Arbitration Committee sought to establish an empirical base of research from which to examine current users’ perceptions regarding the role and impact of ethnic diversity on international arbitration. With the help of generous funding from the IBA, the Arbitration Committee commissioned an independent research organisation, Cortex Capital, to conduct the research and analyse the results.
This study recognises that international arbitration increasingly represents a diverse ethnic population, and the arbitral system must keep abreast with this pace of change. It endeavours to examine whether ethnic diversity on arbitral tribunals matters to the outcomes and legitimacy of the system as a whole. The Arbitration Committee intends for this study to be the first step in a sustained dialogue around ethnic diversity in international arbitration, which the Committee looks forward to continuing to foster.