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News / information

ERA Pledge Newsletter - December 2024
As we enter the 9th year of the Pledge, we are excited to bring you this first edition of our Newsletter.
ERA Pledge UK Bar Subcommittee launches Bar Guidelines
The ERA Pledge UK Bar Subcommittee is pleased to launch the Bar Guidelines to assist members of the UK Bar and those working in bar practice management to implement the aims of the Pledge.

For more details, see the News Release and the ERA Pledge Bar Guidelines.
Eight Years of the ERA Pledge
To mark the Pledge’s 8th anniversary, we report on the progress of the Pledge over the past year: Eight Years of the ERA Pledge, Ashley Jones
Collaboration with Jus Connect
We are delighted to be collaborating with Jus Connect on an exciting new initiative to provide greater visibility to female arbitrators and foster diversity and inclusion within the arbitration community. 

Supporters of the Pledge can now register or claim a complimentary profile on Jus Connect’s searchable database of arbitration professionals. 

If you are a signatory or member of the Pledge (male or female)with at least 2 years’ full-time experience in arbitration, you can sign up andcreate a profile here https://jusmundi.typeform.com/to/h8udTuor,or claim an existing profile on Jus Connect.  

More details are available here.
GAR Pledge Award: 2024 winner
Congratulations to the ICC Arbitration Guide on Disability Inclusion in International Arbitration and ADR for winning the 2024 ERA Pledge Award! 

This is a ground-breaking guide for advancing diversity inclusion in the field of international arbitration and alternative disputes resolution and a very worthy winner! The award was presented by Pledge Corporate Subcommittee members, Karl Hennessee and Yasmin Mohammad  at the Global Arbitration Review Awards Ceremony in Paris yesterday.  

We would also thank and congratulate all the other nominees for this year’s ERA Pledge Award for their hard work and commitment to promoting diversity and female representation in arbitration
ICSID FY2023 statistics
On 1 February 2024, ICSID published its 2023 caseload statistics (see here). ICSID reported significantly improved gender diversity statistics:
- 32% of all appointments were women, up from 23% in 2022;  
- 51% of ICSID appointments were women, up from 37% in 2022; and
- 24% of party appointments were women, up from 16% in 2022.
GAR Pledge Award: 2024 nominees
Congratulations to all involved in this year's shortlisted initiatives for the GAR Pledge Award 2024 - each one deserves recognition for their outstanding efforts to promote and advance diversity in the field of arbitration.
- New group for Indian Women in International Arbitration launched by Niyati Ahuja.
- Network for US-based arbitration practitioners with links to the Arab world founded by Randa Adra, Cherine Foty, Lillian Khoury, May Khoury and Nour Nicolas.
- The launch of 1000 Paths to Arbitration, monthly videos on pursuing a career in arbitration led by Jessica Rado, LL.M. with support from Amanda Lee FCIArb.
- Australian Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (ACICA) launches diversity committee.
- Equal Representation for Expert Witnesses Survey highlights expert witness gender gap.
- Launch of the ERA Pledge in Saudi Arabia by the Arbitration Pledge MENA Subcommittee led by Antonia Birt and Prof. Dr. Nayla Comair-Obeid.
- ICC Arbitration launches guide to disability inclusion in arbitration and alternative dispute resolution.
- A “grassroots network” for LGBTQIA+ people and allies in the arbitration community launched by James McKenzie, Wilson Antoon and Tim Robbins.
- Report by Cortex Capital Limited urging a new approach to arbitrator selection to limit bias.
- Scottish Arbitration Centre launching all-female panels in both domestic and international cases.

You can see more details about the nominees for the various awards here.
UK Judiciary Statement on advocacy opportunities for junior counsel
Eight senior judges, including the Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, have made a statement encouraging the greater participation of junior counsel in oral arguments in hearings: https://lnkd.in/ecRsxugY.

The statement notes that women are under-represented as leading advocates, and that “it is desirable therefore to give junior counsel in general, and female junior counsel in particular, better opportunities to advance oral argument in courts and tribunals.”

Going forward, England and Wales judges will be expected to ask whether a speaking part for junior counsel has been considered, particularly where junior counsel have been heavily involved in drafting the written arguments.

One of the ERA Pledge’s focus areas for 2024 is equal advocacy opportunities and we fully support this initiative of the UK Judiciary.
ERA Pledge launches in Saudi Arabia
We are delighted to announce that our Middle East Sub-Committee launched the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia this month! A testament to the strides made in the realm of diversity and inclusion within the Kingdom’s arbitration community, a two-panel event was held which provided an opportunity to discuss and celebrate the headway made in equal gender representation within the legal sector. The launch event in Riyadh was a significant milestone for female representation in the Saudi legal sector. The thought-provoking discussions and shared personal journeys laid the foundation for a future that values diversity, equality, and fair representation. The event concluded with a call to action for the legal community, both within Saudi Arabia and globally, to continue championing diversity and supporting equal representation. With change underway, it is imperative for everyone to contribute towards this transformative journey.
The event was generously sponsored by Reed Smith, Masin, FTI and HKA, and supported by SCCA, Al Tamimi and Co, Lexis Nexis and the Equal Representation For Expert Witnesses Pledge.
ERA Pledge Bar Subcommittee calls for new members 
The ERA Pledge Bar Subcommittee has been created to advance equal opportunities for women in arbitration working at the Bar. If you would like to join this important Subcommittee and help drive forward the diversity goals of the ERA Pledge at the Bar, please email hjones@3vb.com to register your interest. The founding members of the Bar Subcommittee are: Jane Davies Evans, Anneliese Day KC, Marion Smith KC, Lyndsey de Mestre KC, Sarah Tulip, Catherine Reeves and Lucy Burrows.
More details can be found in the Call to Action.
The ERE Pledge publishes survey report
The survey highlighted that, in 2022,  women were appointed as the sole expert witness in just 10% of disputes worldwide, and that 64% of lawyers had not seen any female expert witnesses in action. It also highlighted a fantastic pipeline of expert witnesses wanting to fulfill this incredibly important role in the future.  All categories of respondents saw the main challenge for female experts being lawyers selecting experts they have used before.
Discover more insights from the ERE Pledge survey 2023 report.
ERA Pledge celebrates its 7th Anniversary
The ERA Pledge celebrated its 7th anniversary on 16 May. The Pledge hosted stands at various events, talking to attendees about the work of the Pledge and securing new signatories, as well as handing out cupcakes to mark the occasion. See LinkedIn posts and photos from the events here and here.
Each year to mark the anniversary, we report on the progress of the Pledge over the previous year and look ahead to plans for the coming year. See Blog: Seven Years of the ERA Pledge by Ashley Jones.
Alison Pearsall appointed new co-chair of the Pledge’s Corporate Subcommittee
The ERA Pledge Global Steering Committee is delighted to announce that Alison Pearsall, formerly Senior Legal Counsel at Veolia, will be the new co-chair of the Corporate Subcommittee. She takes over from Samantha Bakstad (BP) who has led the group since its inception in September 2019.
Founder and co-chair of the Global Steering Committee, Sylvia Noury KC, says “We are delighted that Alison has agreed to take on the role of co-chair of the Corporate Subcommittee. She is an active and committed member of the Global Steering Committee, Corporate Subcommittee and Paris Pledge group and passionate about driving forward progress in diversity. This together with her extensive in-house experience makes her a perfect fit for the role. We are truly grateful to Sam Bakstad for her hard work in setting up and chairing the Corporate Subcommittee for the last nearly 4 years.”
The Pledge Corporate Subcommittee also welcomes the following new members who have recently joined: Hannah Boehm (Roche), Camilla Godman (Omni Bridgeway), Tuuli Timonen (Nokia),and Katherine Young (Shell). We are excited to bring new members on board to provide new ideas and different perspectives to the work of the group, including new industry sectors (technology and life sciences) which are not currently represented in the Corporate Subcommittee.
The work of the Corporate Subcommittee is still a priority area for the ERA Pledge. While progress is being made in institutional and co-arbitrator appointments, the latest statistics revealed a disappointing drop in party appointments of female arbitrators from 19.4% in 2020 to 17.9% in 2021. There remains more work to be done with corporates and their external counsel to tackle the persistent challenges hindering progress towards better gender diversity in party appointments.
Mute Off Thursdays Compendium of Women Arbitrators wins GAR’S ERA Pledge Award 2023
Mute Off Thursdays Compendium of Women Arbitrators has won the 2023 Global Arbitration Review ERA Pledge Award for launching a compendium of women arbitrators around the world. The compendium lists 176 accomplished female arbitrators and includes a diverse range of professional, cultural and ethnic backgrounds. It will serve as a valuable resource for parties, counsel and institutions taking active steps to increase the representation of women on arbitral tribunals. Further information here.
The award was presented at the GAR Awards Ceremony in Paris on 30 March 2023 by the ERA Pledge Global Steering Committee Secretary Ashley Jones and Co-Chair Justin D’Agostino, and accepted by Elena Gutierrez Garcia de Cortazar and Ema Vidak Friedman on behalf of MUTE OFF Thursdays.
30 March 2023
SCC statistics for 2022 reveal that 54% of its arbitrator appointments were female
For the first time in its history, the SCC board appointed a majority of female arbitrators with women making up 54 percent of the arbitrators appointed by the SCC in 2022. This is clearly in line with the gender equality goal that the SCC is working towards and is consistent with the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge signed by the SCC.
To read the full article, please click here.
21 April 2023
Mute Off Thursdays Compendium of Women Arbitrators wins GAR’S ERA Pledge Award 2023
Mute Off Thursdays Compendium of Women Arbitrators has won the 2023 Global Arbitration Review ERA Pledge Award for launching a compendium of women arbitrators around the world. The compendium lists 176 accomplished female arbitrators and includes a diverse range of professional, cultural and ethnic backgrounds. It will serve as a valuable resource for parties, counsel and institutions taking active steps to increase the representation of women on arbitral tribunals. Further information here.
The award was presented at the GAR Awards Ceremony in Paris on 30 March 2023 by the ERA Pledge Global Steering Committee Secretary Ashley Jones and Co-Chair Justin D’Agostino, and accepted by Elena Gutierrez Garcia de Cortazar and Ema Vidak Friedman on behalf of MUTE OFF Thursdays.
30 March 2023
CEPANI makes new rule on Diversity and Inclusion
The Belgian Centre for Arbitration and Mediation (CEPANI) have introduced a new rule. This rule requires the CEPANI appointment committee and president to take into account "considerations of diversity and inclusion" when forming a tribunal in addition to the arbitrator's availability, qualifications and ability to act in the case.
In addition, a new Diversity and Inclusion Standing Committee has been created to promote and monitor diversity and inclusion at CEPANI. One of their goals is to include a diversity and inclusion requirement in the arbitration clause itself in future.
11th ICC MENA Conference at Abu Dhabi Global Market
The Arbitration Pledge represented by Pledge Champions Jane Miles and Noha Elgendy was delighted to be partnering with the 11th ICC MENA Conference on International Arbitration, which took place at Abu Dhabi Global Market on 16 February 2023.
The conference, themed ‘Rethinking Dispute Resolution in an Ever-Changing World’ also highlighted the ICC’s centenary by opening with a discussion around the ICC’s Centenary Declaration on Dispute Prevention and Resolution. The conference covered a variety of topics, including a special panel with His Excellency Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade; Robin Mills, CEO of Qamar Energy; Kamal Shehadi, Chief Strategy Officer of e& International on ‘Finding Opportunity in Times of Uncertainty’ which was moderated by the ICC’s Claudia Salomon, President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris. 
Other panel discussions looked at Energy Transition and Renewables in MENA as well asSupply Chain Disruption in the context of disputes. The conference concluded with a ‘Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Scrutiny of Award’ which included anin-depth review of how the ICC Court scrutinises awards before they are issued to parties. 
Visit the event website to view the full programme and speaker list.
16 February 2023
Financial Times publishes article on the ERE and ERA Pledges
The Financial Times has published an article on the efforts of both the ERA Pledge, as well as the Equal Representation for Expert Witnesses (ERE) Pledge, in achieving a fair representation of women on arbitral tribunals and as expert witness appointees.
As stated in the article by the ERA Pledge founder Sylvia Noury KC, there is progress being made, with the recent ICCA Report revealing that the proportion of women appointed as arbitrators has nearly doubled in the last five years.
To read the article in full click here.
18 October 2022
The 2022 Corporate Guidelines for Implementation of the Pledge
The Pledge Corporate Sub-committee has published an updated set of Corporate Guidelines to further assist corporates with implementing diversity objectives set out in the ERA Pledge.
The Corporate Guidelines are aimed at providing corporate signatories with a framework for concrete steps to assist those wishing to implement the Pledge within their organisation. They can be adopted as and when appropriate, and to the extent appropriate, for each signatory. They are ‘best practice’ principles and do not form any binding commitment for signatories. The Corporate Guidelines were drafted by the Pledge Corporate Sub-committee (see members listed here) and are expressly supported by Airbus, Anglo American, BP, Burford Capital, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Omni Bridgeway, Shell and Vannin Capital.
23 September 2022
The updated 2022 ICCA Report of the Cross-Institutional Task Force on Gender Diversity in Arbitral Appointments and Proceedings
The updated 2022 ICCA Report of the Cross-Institutional Task Force on Gender Diversity in Arbitral Appointments and Proceedings has been published with further information on gender diversity statistics, featuring contributions from the ERA Pledge. It shares a vision of how gender diversity can progress in the field, publishing recent statistics on the appointment of female arbitrators, as well as outlining best practices and opportunities to promote gender diversity in international arbitration. The 2022 Update provides even more data, information, anecdotes, analysis and recommendations, but most importantly, it demonstrates measurable progress in the representation and inclusion of women in international arbitration – with, of course, much more to be done in the multi-faceted field of diversity.
The updated report is available to read here.
23 September 2022
ERA Pledge launches in Cameroon
The ERA Pledge is delighted to announce the launch of the ERA Pledge in Cameroon, on 8 June, during an international arbitration training programme organised by SOAS and hosted by the Centre de Médiation et d’Arbitrage du GICAM (CMAG), a leading African arbitral institution in Douala. Marie-Andrée Ngwe, President of the CMAG, signed the Pledge on the Centre’s behalf in the presence of Global Steering Committee member Gisèle Stephens-Chu and African Sub-committee members Sylvie Bebohi Ebongo and Aurélia Kamga, as well as several local press reporters.
8 June 2022
Macarena Letelier appointed new co-chair of the ERA Pledge Latin America Subcommittee 
The ERA Pledge is delighted to announce the appointment of Macarena Letelier, Executive Director of the Santiago Arbitration and Mediation Centre, as the new co-chair of its Latin America Subcommittee. Macarena is taking over from Ana Carolina Weber, who held the position for the past three years and is now initiating a sole practice dedicated to arbitration. The full Press Release is accessible to read here in both English and Spanish.
11 May 2022
ICC International Court of Arbitration wins GAR’s ERA Pledge Award 2022
ICC International Court of Arbitration has won the 2022 Global Arbitration Review ERA Pledge Award for building an LGBTQIA network and launching a task force on disability inclusion. The LGBTQIA network aims to support members' personal and professional development, sharing best practice and building understanding of those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer or questioning, intersex or asexual. The task force on disability inclusion will study and analyse the ways in which ICC can meet the needs of those in the international arbitration community who may need accommodations or changes for the way they work.
For more information about the GAR Awards click here. For further information on ICC’s initiatives see the LGBTQIA network and the Disability Task Force.
1 April 2022
Paris Arbitration Week 2022
The Paris-based members of the Pledge Steering Committee, YPSC and Teynier Pic hosted an event during Paris Arbitration Week (28 March - 1 April 2022), featuring Eric O’Donnell, Head of Legal Operations at Total Energies. Eric explained how diversity and inclusion is integral to the Total Energies’ corporate strategy and how it is implemented, as well as providing personal reflections on the benefits of diversity and the need to tackle unconscious bias. Following his keynote, participants were invited to network and discuss actions to implement their commitments to the ERA Pledge.
View the photographs from the event here
28 March – 1 April 2022
ERA Pledge launches in Israel
The ERA Pledge is delighted to announce the launch of the ERA Pledge in Israel last week during the Tel-Aviv Arbitration Week 2022 (TAAW). During the main TAAW conference, Pledge Steering Committee member Gisele Stephens-Chu presented the Pledge’s genesis, objectives, and achievements. The conference also included a thought-provoking panel discussion moderated by Tatiana Minaeva entitled “Diversity in International Arbitration” and a women practitioners event with the ICC Court of Arbitration President, Claudia Salomon, hosted by ICC YAF member Nuna Lerner which also featured the Pledge.
Find out more about the Tel-Aviv Arbitration Week here.
13 March – 16 March 2022
Delos launches open access arbitrator database
Independent arbitral institution Delos has launched a universal open access arbitrator database, with the aim of improving diversity in arbitration. The database is free to use and to appear in. Arbitrators can provide as much information about themselves as they wish. The database will assist Delos in making diverse appointments, but also allows parties and counsel, as well as other arbitral institutions, to compile arbitrator shortlists more easily. It is hoped that the database will reduce barriers for new counsel entrants to gain information about arbitrator candidates. In addition, the database will assist in identifying diverse conference speakers and publication contributors.
Delos’ open access arbitrator database can be found here
ICCA to host ERA Female Arbitrator Search
The Pledge is pleased to announce that the ERA Female Arbitrator Search Tool, launched in 2016, will now be hosted by ICCA. The Tool allows practitioners and parties to identify qualified female arbitrators to hear their cases. Search requests are sent on a confidential basis directly to the independent ERA Search Committee, which will respond with a list of suitable female candidates.
The ERA Search Committee is formed entirely of volunteers from dispute resolution organisations – it does not include individuals from law firms. ICCA does not make or endorse recommendations.
ICCA will shortly launch an update of the Report of Cross-Institutional Task Force on Gender Diversity in Arbitral Appointments and Proceedings. Keep an eye on ICCA's website and social media for the announcement.
Spotlight on the ERA Pledge YPSC's Push 4 Parity Series
The Push 4 Parity initiative, put together by the ERA Pledge Young Practitioners Sub-committee, is preparing for its third season – focusing on advocacy from a counsel’s perspective.
The Push 4 Parity series is a series of webinars taught by diverse voices in the field, including leading arbitrators, practitioners and representatives from major arbitral institutions. The Push 4 Parity series offers practical advice on topics of interest to emerging and aspiring arbitrators, such as the different paths to becoming an arbitrator, networking, personal branding and marketing techniques, getting on the rosters of arbitral institutions, securing the first arbitral appointments, dealing with disclosures of potential conflicts of interest, preparing for and conducting arbitration proceedings with confidence, participating in tribunal deliberations with more senior arbitrators and drafting effective awards.
You can read more about the background to the Push 4 Parity initiative and previous seasons here
23 February 2022
Justin D’Agostino appointed new co-chair of the ERA Pledge Global Steering Committee
The ERA Pledge is delighted to announce the appointment of Justin D’Agostino, global Chief Executive Officer at Herbert Smith Freehills, as the new co-chair of its Global Steering Committee. Justin is taking over from Samantha Bakstad who will step down from the role after nearly three years to focus on her role leading the Pledge’s Corporate Subcommittee.
The Press Release is accessible here
13 January 2022
The launch of a new USA Subcommittee
The Pledge has formed a new USA Subcommittee which launches this month to take forward the promotion of the ERA Pledge among the broad geographic reach of the United States, focusing on increasing awareness and driving change in the appointment of female arbitrators, female practitioners as lead counsel and the advancement of female in-house counsel. The Press Release is accessible here
November 2021
Burford Capital launches Phase 2 of The Equity Project to include gender and racial diversity
As part of Phase 2, Burford is earmarking a further $100 million to The Equity Project and broadening its mission to address both female and racially diverse lawyers who have been historically underrepresented in the business of law, especially in leadership and partnership positions. In earmarking capital through The Equity Project, Burford provides these lawyers an edge as they pursue leadership positions in significant commercial litigations and arbitrations and eases pathways towards origination and client relationship credit.
More information about the next phase of The Equity Project is now live on Burford’s website here.
You can read their press release here.
October 2021
The ICSID Report 2021
Encouraging statistics in International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)'s report on the 2021 financial year. Find out more here.
6 August 2021
ERA Pledge supports Arbitrator Intelligence Diversity Campaign 2021
The Pledge is supporting the Arbitrator Intelligence. Diversity Campaign 2021. The campaign is a 3-week push to try to collect information on diverse arbitrator candidates to feed into AI’s Arbitrator Reports which provide valuable insights into arbitrator candidates to provide reassurance to those recommending or appointing arbitrators who they have no person experience of. The goal is to collect 100 AI Questionnaires over the 3 week campaign. For more information on the AI Diversity Campaign, see here.To provide arbitrator feedback, complete an AI Questionnaire (AIQ) here.
12 September to 4 October 2021
MUTE OFF Thursdays wins the GAR Pledge Award 2021
This year’s GAR Pledge Award was won by MUTE OFF Thursdays, an initiative set up at the beginning of lockdown in March 2020 to help mid to senior women in arbitration exchange knowledge and remain connected to the arbitration community by hosting weekly zoom calls on a different topic each week. The initiative was launched by Ema Vidak Gojković, Gaëlle Filhol, Catherine Anne Kunz and Claire Morel de Westgaver.
1 July 2021
ICC celebrates the Pledge’s five year anniversary
The ICC has issued a press release celebrating the five year anniversary of the Pledge, identifying ways it has turned its Pledge commitments into action. Find out more here.
14 June 2021
ERA Pledge celebrates its 5th birthday
The ERA Pledge celebrated its 5th Anniversary on 16 May 2021. To find out more about the Pledge’s journey so far, see the anniversary video and blog.
21 May 2021
ERA Pledge YPSC partners with CIArb
The ERA Pledge Young Practitioners Subcommittee (YPSC) is delighted to announce they have entered into a partnership with the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) to provide ERA members with discounted training.
Speaking on behalf of the YPSC, Sofia Klot, Caroline Croft and Elizabeth Chan said, “We are delighted to partner with CIArb to help our members access the fantastic arbitrator-training courses offered by CIArb and to help them gain accreditation as CIArb fellows. In doing so, we hope to support those launching their careers as arbitrators and to promote greater gender and other forms of diversity in arbitrator appointments in international dispute resolution.”
Catherine Dixon, Director General of CIArb said: “CIArb is a global membership and professional body dedicated to effective dispute resolution. CIArb is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, supporting and enabling the best to join and progress in the ADR profession irrespective of their background. I'm proud that CIArb is working with the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge in providing this training”.
Under the partnership, CIArb will provide ERA members who fulfil the entry conditions with discounted training on CIArb’s Module 3 Evidence and Writing course on its International Arbitration Pathway, or discounted access to its Accelerated Route to Fellowship in International Arbitration, at CIArb headquarters. Successful completion of either programme enables individuals to apply for peer interview for CIArb Fellowship (FCIArb).
Find out more about the programme here. To learn more about CIArb, please visit www.ciarb.org.
May 2021
GAR Pledge Award 2021
The shortlist for the GAR Pledge Award 2021 has been announced. Congratulations and well done to all nominees for their outstanding contributions to advancing gender diversity in arbitration during 2020. Click here to vote.
May 2021
ICAC 2020 Annual Report
Pledge signatory the International Commercial Arbitration Court (ICAC) (Ukraine) recently published its 2020 Annual Report. It reported that, in 2020, the number of female arbitrators involved in ICAC cases reached an amazing 42.4%. This is a 5.9% on its 2019 statistics. Additionally, the ICAC also reported that 57.4% of the party appointments were women.The ICAC Annual Report 2020 is available to view at this link.
April 2021
SCCA signs the ERA Pledge
The Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) has signed the ERA Pledge and signalled its commitment to gender diversity in international arbitration. The Middle East is a focus area for the Pledge having recently launched our Pledge Middle East Subcommittee and the support of the arbitral institutions is essential to driving progress forward in the region.
April 2021
Appointment of Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour SAN, C.Arb as a member of the World Bank Group.
The World Bank has announced the appointment of Steering Committee member and African Subcommittee co-chair, Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour SAN, C.Arb, as a member of the World Bank Group Sanctions Board. With her appointment, she is presently the only Nigerian on the Board and has become one of the seven judges for a six year term.
Adedoyin has significant experience in dispute settlement and arbitration and she is regularly ranked by publications as a pre-eminent arbitrator. She has also been described as highly recommended by clients and peers for her skill and versatile thinking as well as providing clients with a wealth of expertise as both arbitrator and counsel across the financial services and energy sectors. Adedoyin is honoured to be appointed to the Sanctions Board and looks forward to working in the World Bank Family. The ERA Pledge and African Subcommittee congratulates her and wishes her all the best with her new appointment. It is truly very well deserved.
You can view our Linked In post here for more information on Mrs. Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour SAN, C.Arb.
December 2020
The European Commission signs the ERA Pledge
The European Commission signed the ERA Pledge in respect of its trade and investment dispute settlement activities on 18 December 2020. See the EC’s press release here and letter from the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission here
18 December 2020
ERA Pledge Middle East Subcommittee launched
The ERA Pledge Middle East Subcommittee was launched in December 2020, as the fourth regional subcommittee of the Pledge following the Latin America, India and Africa subcommittees. The Middle East Subcommittee will promote the ERA Pledge across the international arbitration community in the Middle East. The steering committee is co-chaired by Prof Dr Nayla Comair-Obeid and Antonia Birt, and is composed of arbitration practitioners, in-house counsel, technical experts, arbitrators, and members of arbitral institutions, from several Middle Eastern jurisdictions and those further afield with a focus on Middle Eastern practice. The launch event for the Subcommittee is expected to take place in March 2021.
December 2020
Corporate Guidelines for Implementation of the Pledge
The Pledge Corporate Sub-committee has published a set of Corporate Guidelines for Implementation of the Pledge (available in English and Spanish).The Corporate Guidelines are aimed at providing corporate signatories with a framework for concrete steps to assist those wishing to implement the Pledge within their organisation. They can be adopted as and when appropriate, and to the extent appropriate, for each signatory. They are ‘best practice’ principles and do not form any binding commitment for signatories. The Corporate Guidelines were drafted by the Pledge Corporate Sub-committee (see members listed here) and are expressly supported by Airbus, Anglo American, BP, Burford Capital, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Omni Bridgeway, Shell and Vannin Capital.
26 November 2020
Checklist of Best Practices for the Selection of Arbitrators
A Checklist of Best Practices for the Selection of Arbitrators was launched by the Paris members of the Pledge Steering Committee in October 2020. The Checklist outlines the best practices, methods and tools available for selecting arbitrators, relying on objective criteria that promote both efficiency and diversity in arbitration. You can access a copy of the Checklist here in French and English, and more information is available here. (Please note, the survey at the end of this article is in French and meant for the time being for those based in France only.)
October 2020
Young Practitioners Subcommittee
ERA Pledge launches Young Practitioners Subcommittee bringing its message of gender diversity to the new generations. The Press Release is accessible here.
14 September 2020
The eighth volume of the ICCA Reports series
The eighth volume of the ICCA Reports series, the ICCA Report of the Cross-Institutional Task Force on Gender Diversity in Arbitral Appointments and Proceedings, has been released. The Report shares a vision of how gender diversity can progress in the field and publishes recent statistics on the appointment of female arbitrators, as well as outlining best practices and opportunities to promote gender diversity in international arbitration. The report is accessible here.
29 July 2020
ERA Pledge GAR Award 2020
The winner of the ERA Pledge GAR Award 2020, announced at the GAR Awards Ceremony on 9 July, is the LCIA for appointing 43% female arbitrators during 2018. The LCIA’s 2019 statistics are even better with the LCIA appointing female arbitrators in 48% of the appointments made by the institution. Congratulations to the LCIA! You can read the full list of very worthy nominees here.
17 July 2020
On 23 June, a meeting of the Global Steering Committee took place using Microsoft Teams. About 40 members attended to discuss (i) the 2019 female arbitrator appointment statistics; (ii) ideas for future virtual events; and (iii) a round-up of the Pledge events and activities of the various regional members and sub-committees. It was fantastic to hear about all the great work being done across the different regions and plans for harnessing the new virtual world for future Pledge events.
23 June 2020
Freshfields blog: ERA Pledge surpasses 4,000 signatories. click here.
3 June 2020
Africa Sub-Committee update: the Africa Sub-Committee recently convened to discuss its formal launch event and agenda for the year ahead. The Sub-Committee is delighted to report that Africa now has the second highest number of signatories after Europe.
23 April 2020
The Casablanca International Mediation & Arbitration Centre is pleased to announce it has officially joined the campaign for a more diverse and balanced international arbitration community (ERA Pledge). CIMAC’s Secretary General, Hicham Zegrary said “Diversity and Gender issues are part of CIMAC ‘DNA’. Both our Court of Arbitration and Secretariat are composed of peoples from all over the world. By signing the ERA Pledge, we commit ourselves to do more!!!”.
14 April 2020
This year’s 27th Vis Moot was held as a Virtual Vis Moot for the first time. In the Opening Ceremony, Steering Committee member Patrizia Netal spoke about the ERA Pledge and equal representation (min 7:00 – 7:45). This year’s competition had a majority female panel in the final round including Jackie van Haersolte-van Hof and Prof Petra Butler.
9 April 2020
The UK has launched its process for making new designations to the ICSID Panels of Arbitrators and of Conciliators. This opportunity will no doubt be of interest to the Equal Representation in Arbitration community and we are keen that it reach a diverse applicant base.
Applications are being accepted via a dedicated mailbox (icsidappointments@trade.gov.uk). Should any members have further queries, the application information has been publicised on the UK Government’s website (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/appointments-to-icsid-panels-call-for-expressions-of-interest/appointments-to-icsid-panels-call-for-expressions-of-interest) (UK)
19 March 2020
ArbitralWomen: The second edition of the book on “Women Pioneers in Dispute Resolution” published in September 2018 was launched in New York on 8 November 2018 during the Gala Dinner celebrating the ArbitralWomen 25th Jubilee (click here to download). The second edition features women from a wide geographical coverage: 78 women from nearly 50 countries and from all continents.
November 2018
ASIL holds a Women in Arbitration Panel featuring a discussion on the Arbitration Pledge. Click here to watch the video.
10 January 2018
ERA Pledge launches 10 New Year Resolutions. Click here to watch the video or here to download the poster.
1 January 2018
First Quarter 2017
Pledge to name more women as arbitrators reaches U.S. firms
21 June 2016
18 May 2016
ERA Pledge launches in Cameroon
The ERA Pledge is delighted to announce the launch of the ERA Pledge in Cameroon, on 8 June, during an international arbitration training programme organised by SOAS and hosted by the Centre de Médiation et d’Arbitrage du GICAM (CMAG), a leading African arbitral institution in Douala. Marie-Andrée Ngwe, President of the CMAG, signed the Pledge on the Centre’s behalf in the presence of Global Steering Committee member Gisèle Stephens-Chu and African Sub-committee members Sylvie Bebohi Ebongo and Aurélia Kamga, as well as several local press reporters.
8 June 2022
11th ICC MENA Conference at Abu Dhabi Global Market
The Arbitration Pledge represented by Pledge Champions Jane Miles and Noha Elgendy was delighted to be partnering with the 11th ICC MENA Conference on International Arbitration, which took place at Abu Dhabi Global Market on 16 February 2023.
The conference, themed ‘Rethinking Dispute Resolution in an Ever-Changing World’ also highlighted the ICC’s centenary by opening with a discussion around the ICC’s Centenary Declaration on Dispute Prevention and Resolution. The conference covered a variety of topics, including a special panel with His Excellency Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade; Robin Mills, CEO of Qamar Energy; Kamal Shehadi, Chief Strategy Officer of e& International on ‘Finding Opportunity in Times of Uncertainty’ which was moderated by the ICC’s Claudia Salomon, President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris. 
Other panel discussions looked at Energy Transition and Renewables in MENA as well asSupply Chain Disruption in the context of disputes. The conference concluded with a ‘Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Scrutiny of Award’ which included anin-depth review of how the ICC Court scrutinises awards before they are issued to parties. 
Visit the event website to view the full programme and speaker list.
16 February 2023
ArbitralWomen
An international non-governmental organisation with the primary objective of advancing the interests of women and promoting female practitioners in international dispute resolution.
CPR National Task Force on Diversity in ADR
The National Task Force on Diversity in ADR was established to devise practical strategies to increase the participation of women and minorities in mediation, arbitration and other ADR processes.
30% Club
The 30% Club aims to develop a diverse pool of talent for all businesses through the efforts of its Chair and CEO members who are committed to better gender balance at all levels of their organisations. Business leadership is key to our mission, taking the issue beyond a specialist diversity effort and into mainstream talent management.
Equal Representation For Expert Witnesses Pledge
The Equal Representation for Expert Witnesses (ERE) initiative was conceived in 2021 as a sister to the ERA Pledge. Its purpose is to bring and drive commitment to improve the visibility and representation of women as expert witnesses.
GQUAL
A campaign for gender parity in international representation, including international courts, tribunal and other monitoring or adjudicating bodies that play key roles in developing international law, human rights and international relations.
50/50 by 2020
A campaign to create gender-balanced leadership in all organisations worldwide by the year 2020.
Men say No, thanks
A campaign for gender parity in international representation, including international courts, tribunal and other monitoring or adjudicating bodies that play key roles in developing international law, human rights and international relations.
First 100 Years
The First 100 Years is a ground-breaking history project, supported by the Law Society and the Bar Council, charting the journey of women in law since 1919. In 2019 the project will mark the centenary of the Sex Disqualification (Removal) Act 1919 which paved the way for women to become lawyers for the first time.
HeForShe
The HeForShe solidarity movement was created by UN Women to provide a systematic approach and targeted platform where a global audience can engage and become change agents for the achievement of gender equality in our lifetime.
Companies are key to Driving Diversity in Arbitration
Pledge Corporate Subcommitte members, Giulia Previti of Buford Capital and Ashley Jones of Freshfields, analyse why companies have an important role to play in achieving better gender diversity on arbitral tribunals.
Gender diversity in international arbitration—five years on from the launch of the ERA Pledge
Arbitration analysis: The Equal Representation in Arbitration (ERA) Pledge (the Pledge) recently celebrated its five-year anniversary following its launch in May 2016. Ashley Jones, senior knowledge lawyer in disputes, litigation and arbitration at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer offers an overview of the initiative.
Women’s Voices Matter: the Case for the Extinction of Manels
Like many other industries, the field of international arbitration has adjusted to the Covid-19 pandemic. Hearings have gone virtual; arbitrators, counsel and experts have adapted to working from home; and conferences have become webinars. Rather than being limited to candidates that would be available in a particular jurisdiction at any one time, conference organisers now have a global pool of candidates to draw from as potential speakers, constrained only by time zone considerations. One would therefore expect to see greater diversity than ever in the speaker line-ups for arbitration webinars over the past few months. Unfortunately, that has not been the case.
White Paper: Retaining & Advancing Women in National Law Firms May 2016
A recent study conducted by members of the Law and Policy Lab at Stanford Law School to review, and provide an overview of the findings and recommendations resulting from, existing research and scholarship into the problems of the retention and advancement of women lawyers in elite national law firms.
ArbitralWomen/TDM Special Issue on 'Dealing with Diversity in International Arbitration'
L. Barrington, Aculex Transnational, R. Rana SC, 39 Essex Chambers
  • Keeping up Appearances: the Diversity Dilemma
    K. Claussen, The Diversity Challenge: Exploring the "Invisible College" of International Arbitration, S.D. Franck, Washington & Lee University School of Law, J. Freda, United Nations, SRSG-SVC, K. Lavin, T. Lehmann, University of St. Gallen, A. van Aaken, University of St. Gallen
    Read more
  • The Pervasion of Patriarchy in the Life Cycle of Arbitration - A Feminist Critique
    A. Kurlekar, West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, and University of Oxford
    Read more
  • The Performance of Teams in International Arbitration: Gender Diversity and the Female Factor
    U. Cartwright-Finch, Linklaters LLP
    Read more
  • Diversity and Lack Thereof Amongst International Arbitrators - Between Discrimination, Political Correctness and Representativeness
    I.A. Müller
    Read more
  • Gravitas: Persuasion and Legitimacy
    E. Oger-Gross, White & Case LLPM
    Read more
  • Gender and International Commercial Arbitrators: Contributions to Sex Discrimination in Appointments
    D.R. Demeter, School of Law & Justice, University of Canberra, P. Easteal, School of Law, University of Canberra, N. Nelson
    Read more
  • An Empirical Analysis of Diversity in Investment Arbitration: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
    R. Kovacs, Linklaters, A. Fawke, Linklaters
    Read more
  • Diversity in Arbitration in Europe: Insights From a Large Scale Empirical Study
    A.N. Cole, Brunel Law School, P. Ortolani, Max Planck Institute Luxembourg
    Read more
  • Female Legal Professionals in the Islamic Republic of Iran: An Emerging Generation of Female Arbitrators
    N. Nasrollahi Shahri, Bayan Emrooz International Law Firm
    Read more
  • Africa and International Arbitration: from Accommodation and Acceptance to Active Engagement
    U. Ewelukwa Ofodile, University of Arkansas School of Law
    Read more
  • Achieving Gender Diversity for Future Generations in Appointments to International Commercial Arbitration Tribunals - A Focus on Scotland
    G. Carmichael Lemaire, www.carmichael-lemaire.com
    Read more
  • Increasing Diversity among Arbitrators and Mediators: The Magic Bullet
    B. Leon, High Court of the Virgin Islands (Commercial Division), Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court
    Read more
  • Could "Blind" Appointments Open Our Eyes to the Lack of Diversity in International Arbitration?
    L. Greenwood, Norton Rose Fulbright
    Read more
  • Beyond the Pale: A Proposal to Promote Ethnic Diversity Among International Arbitrators
    C. Dolinar-Hikawa, Sidley Austin LLP
    Read more
  • A Proposed Solution to Increase Diversity Among International Arbitrator Appointments Through a Five Step Adoption of the "Rooney Rule" by Law Firms, Clients and Institutions in the Form of a Voluntary Written Pledge
    B.S. Vasani, Jones Day
    Read more
  • When Did the Doors to Dispute Resolution Open for Women?
    M. Philippe, ICC International Court of Arbitration
    Read more
  • Islamic Finance Arbitration: Is It Possible for Non-Muslims to Arbitrate Islamic Financial Disputes?
    A. Alrajhi, American University Washington College of Law
    Read more
The Diversity Challenge: Exploring the 'Invisible College' of International Arbitration, May 29, 2015
Franck, Susan D. and Freda, James and Lavin, Kellen and Lehmann, Tobias A. and van Aaken, Anne, Columbia Journal of Transnational Law, Vol. 53, Page 429, 2015.
International Arbitration: Demographics, Precision and Justice, June 11, 2015
Franck, Susan D. and Freda, James and Lavin, Kellen and Lehmann, Tobias A. and van Aaken, Anne, ICCA Congress Series No. 18, Legitimacy: Myths, Realities, Challenges, pp. 33-122, 2015.
Getting a better balance on international arbitration tribunals, Lucy Greenwood and Mark Baker
Getting a better balance on international arbitration tribunals, Lucy Greenwood and Mark Baker. The authors published this article in 2012 as the first of several articles focusing on gender diversity in international arbitration. Through the collation of previously unreported statistics from the various arbitral institutions they were able to highlight the extent of the poor representation of women on arbitral tribunals. Alongside the statistics they provided valuable commentary and analysis as to the factors affecting arbitral appointments that contribute to exacerbate the problem, for example, unconscious bias and lack of transparency.
Is the balance getting better? An update on the issue of gender diversity in international arbitration, Lucy Greenwood and Mark Baker
In this 2015 article the authors update and expand on the research which underpinned their original article. They also discuss the responsibility for meaningful change, noting that although responsibility lies with the institutions to track and publish information about the gender make-up of arbitrations they administer, ultimate responsibility lies with those making the appointments. A key theme in this article is the idea that increased diversity may improve the quality of tribunal deliberations and awards.
2015 Report: Diversity Matters by McKinsey & Company
McKinsey’s research found a statistically significant relationship between a more diverse leadership and better financial performance. The report also looks at practical ways in which companies can become more diverse.
Women on Boards, February 2011
The UK Government initiated a review into gender equality on the boards of listed companies. This report examines the situation in 2011, using the number of women on FTSE 350 corporate boards as a starting point, considers the business case for having gender-diverse boards and then sets out some recommendations for achieving urgent change. The report outlines the very strong business case for more balanced boards leading to better decision-making.
Changes Afoot, But Work Remains For Diversity In Arbitration
Law360, New York (April 5, 2017, 3:47 PM EDT) -- Gender diversity took center stage nearly a year ago when stakeholders in international arbitration signed a pledge to increase the number of female appointed arbitrators, and while diversity proponents say there's been improvement in recent years, work still remains.
ERA Pledge UK Bar Subcommittee launches Bar Guidelines
The ERA Pledge UK Bar Subcommittee is pleased to launch the Bar Guidelines to assist members of the UK Bar and those working in bar practice management to implement the aims of the Pledge.

For more details, see the News Release and the ERA Pledge Bar Guidelines.
The ERE Pledge publishes survey report
The survey highlighted that, in 2022, women were appointed as the sole expert witness in just 10% of disputes worldwide, and that 64% of lawyers had not seen any female expert witnesses in action. It also highlighted a fantastic pipeline of expert witnesses wanting to fulfill this incredibly important role in the future.  All categories of respondents saw the main challenge for female experts being lawyers selecting experts they have used before.

Discover more insights from the ERE Pledge survey 2023 report.
Corporate Guidelines
The Pledge Corporate Sub-committee has published an updated set of Corporate Guidelines to further assist corporates with implementing diversity objectives set out in the ERA Pledge.

The Corporate Guidelines are aimed at providing corporate signatories with a framework for concrete steps to assist those wishing to implement the Pledge within their organisation. They can be adopted as and when appropriate, and to the extent appropriate, for each signatory. They are ‘best practice’ principles and do not form any binding commitment for signatories. The Corporate Guidelines were drafted by the Pledge Corporate Sub-committee (see members listed here) and are expressly supported by Airbus, Anglo American, BP, Burford Capital, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Omni Bridgeway, Shell and Vannin Capital.
The ICCA Report of the Cross-Institutional Task Force on Gender Diversity in Arbitral Appointments and Proceedings
The updated 2022 ICCA Report of the Cross-Institutional Task Force on Gender Diversity in Arbitral Appointments and contains further information on gender diversity statistics, featuring contributions from the ERA Pledge. It shares a vision of how gender diversity can progress in the field, publishing recent statistics on the appointment of female arbitrators, as well as outlining best practices and opportunities to promote gender diversity in international arbitration. The 2022 Update provides even more data, information, anecdotes, analysis and recommendations, but most importantly, it demonstrates measurable progress in the representation and inclusion of women in international arbitration – with, of course, much more to be done in the multi-faceted field of diversity.

The report is available to read here.
Checklist of Best Practices for the Selection of Arbitrators
A Checklist of Best Practices for the Selection of Arbitrators was launched by the Paris members of the Pledge Steering Committee in October 2020. The Checklist outlines the best practices, methods and tools available for selecting arbitrators, relying on objective criteria that promote both efficiency and diversity in arbitration. You can access a copy of the Checklist here in French and English, and more information is available here.