News / information

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.)

ERA Pledge launches Young Practitioners Subcommittee bringing its message of gender diversity to the new generations. The Press Release is accessible here.

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.

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.

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.

Freshfields blog: ERA Pledge surpasses 4,000 signatories. click here.

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.

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!!!”.

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.

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)

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.

ASIL holds a Women in Arbitration Panel featuring a discussion on the Arbitration Pledge. Click here to watch the video.

ERA Pledge launches 10 New Year Resolutions. Click here to watch the video or here to download the poster.

Pledge to name more women as arbitrators reaches U.S. firms