From the Co-Chairs - Arbitration Committee bulletin February 2024

Xavier Favre-Bulle
Lenz & Staehelin, Geneva
xavier.favre-bulle@lenzstaehelin.com

Chiann Bao
Arbitration Chambers, Singapore
chiann.bao@arbchambers.com

Dear Committee members,

We are delighted to preface this new edition of the IBA Arbitration Committee newsletter, which comprises 17 contributions under the theme ‘procedural issues in arbitration’.

This edition features articles relating to multiple jurisdictions, including Belgium, UAE, Mexico, Italy, Canada, India, the UK and Nigeria. It includes thought provoking analyses on topics like arbitrability of distributorship agreements, admissibility and jurisdiction, due process, determining the seat of arbitration, enforcing arbitral awards that have been partially set aside, stay of court proceedings in favour of arbitration, recourse against arbitral awards conducted under the ICC Rules, the power of summary disposal in arbitration. We hope you enjoy reading these insightful pieces as much as we did.

It is once again a pleasure for us to extend our gratitude to the various authors who come from all around the world and, of course, to our Editors. 

We look forward to a productive 2024. In particular, we are excited to publish the revised IBA Guidelines on Conflicts of Interest and build from our work from last year in the areas of privilege, party-representation and site visit. In addition to cooperating with a number of organisations and holding arbitration conferences, we are monitoring developments in the field and assessing the utility of establishing certain initiatives, specifically in 2024 in the areas of investment arbitration, artificial intelligence, sports, res judicata and experts.
We also would like to express our special thanks to Valeria Galíndez, our outgoing Committee Co-chair, for her immense efforts and contributions to the Committee’s projects for the past two years.

We hope that you enjoy reading these articles, and as always, we thank our contributors, our Newsletter Editors, and our Editorial Board members for their hard work in bringing this new issue of the Newsletter to our readers.

We are looking forward to seeing many of you in Singapore for the 25th Annual IBA Arbitration Day.