Seventy-third session

The Seventy-third session of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Working Group II on Dispute Settlement was held from March 22 to 26, 2021, in New York. This session focused on the draft provisions concerning "expedited arbitration," aiming to streamline arbitration processes for quicker dispute resolution. The discussions also encompassed the model arbitration clause for expedited arbitration and the application of the UNCITRAL Rules on Transparency to such proceedings.

The session was attended by representatives from 54 member states, including Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russian Federation, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United States of America, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe. Additionally, representatives from intergovernmental organizations such as the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) participated. Non-governmental organizations, including the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA), also attended.

The Working Group was chaired by Mr. Andrés Jana from Chile and its rapporteur was Mr. Takashi Takashima from Japan. The sessions were conducted remotely through the UNCITRAL’s platform, 'Interpret.world,' and informal consultations were held via Microsoft Teams. Dr. Mohamed Hafez represented CRCICA during this session.

This session was crucial for advancing the development of expedited arbitration procedures, aiming to provide parties with a more efficient and cost-effective means of resolving disputes.