Latest News

In its work of monitoring the development and trends in investment treaty arbitration, the IBA Subcommittee on Investment Treaty Arbitration has developed a questionnaire, now available on the SCC web. Investment treaty arbitration has proliferated in recent years. Together with its success it has also faced some criticism from both users and observers. IBA Subcommittee on Investment Treaty Arbitration considers it appropriate to reflect upon and examine this criticism, partly in order to assess potential areas for reform. The Committee is preparing a report on issues in the world of investment arbitration, and the purpose of the survey is to collect information and views about both the practical experiences of the users of the system (eg, States, investors, institutions, and practitioners) as well as the views of observers, as eg, academics and non-governmental organizations. The questionnaire is developed by the Subcommittee together with an advisory group consisting of members from government, academia, civil society, arbitrators and arbitration counsel. Unless a user chooses to waive anonymity, all information submitted, including the identity of those responding to the survey, will be treated confidentially. The survey should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. The deadline for submitting contributions is 31 July 2015.

Using the links below, AIA members enjoy complimentary access to the full text of Arbitration and Dispute resolution multi-jurisdictional guides published by Practical Law: http://uk.practicallaw.com/resources/uk-publications/multi-jurisdictional-guides/arbitration-mjg and http://uk.practicallaw.com/resources/uk-publications/multi-jurisdictional-guides/dispute-mjg. Each of the guides provides practical information on topical issues, country-specific Q&A overviews on each area of law and practice and also has its own comparative tool which allows the user to select a specific question or topic, select the jurisdictions they are interested in and the tool will compare the answers. The Q&A chapters are written by leading local law firms in each jurisdiction. The questions are designed by PLC's team of ex-private practice lawyers alongside international editorial boards comprising of legal professionals (both in-house and private practice) active in that particular area. This helps to ensure the guides address the key issues facing any international lawyer doing business in an unfamiliar jurisdiction. The guides also feature a useful comparative tool which allows a user to compare specific issues and the answers across selected jurisdictions. If any member would like more information on a contributing law firm or has any feedback regarding the guides, please contact : yani.paramova@practicallaw.com

The AIA is pleased to announce that we now have a Qualifying Assessment Program (QAP) approved by the International Mediation Institute (IMI). IMI is unique as it is the only organization in the world to cultivate global, professional standards for experienced mediators, advocates and others involved in the field of ADR. In addition, lMI convenes stakeholders, promotes understanding and disseminates skills all in a non-service provider capacity. Establishing the European Mediation Training for Practitioners of Justice (EMTPJ) represented an important milestone for mediation as it allows participants to apply for accreditation in numerous jurisdictions both within and outside Europe thereby creating truly ‘European Mediators’. The AIA offers the assessment in different languages after agreement between the AIA and the candidate. Since then, it has become increasingly important for the AIA to obtain IMI approval in order to have an assessment recognized on a global scale that would cater to experienced, competent mediators, with the overall aim of promoting mediation as a profession. Those who take part in the AIA’s qualifying assessment program and successfully become qualified and then IMI Certified will form part of a worldwide community of experienced mediators who’s Profiles are freely searchable by users through the IMI open search engine. AIA is now open for registrations; applicants must have 200 hours mediation experience and 20 mediation cases. For details please email us at: IMIQAP@arbitration-adr.org AIA also supports the Young Mediators Initiative (YMI), which was established under the umbrella of IMI, with the aim of encouraging, connecting and assisting young mediators worldwide.

AIA has more than 450 members worldwide. Membership in the association has been structured so as to make a clear distinction between arbitrators, lawyers, academics and other members.

Our next internship program will run within the period from June 4, 2012 to September 28, 2012. Applications should have previous knowledge or at the very least a genuine interest in international arbitration, excellent spoken and written English and a good communication skills to interact with people from different countries and continents. The deadline for the summer internship is Monday 23, April 2012.

From the 3rd to 15th of September 2012, AIA will organize the third EMTPJ program. EMTPJ is an intensive 2 weeks (100 hours) mediation training that purports to create mediators specialized in cross border mediation. The EMTPJ project is a milestone for mediation in Europe and its content is recognized by many mediation centers (in and beyond Europe), allowing successful participants to apply for accreditation within different states.

On June 21, 2012, AIA will host a conference ‘Current issues in arbitration in CIS countries’. The conference will cover a wide range of topics, such as recommendations to non-CIS parties when choosing arbitration in CIS countries.

AIA together with the Brussels Institute of Contemporary China Studies (BICCS) of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) will organize lectures and seminars on topics of current relevance in the field of international arbitration. For more information please visit our arbitration planner.

Advisors fully versed on the latest decisions, trends and strategies being used in the rapdily growing and complex area of Investment Treaty Law are in demand. C5's conference on Investment Treaty Arbitration will be a unique experience that ensures that you not only learn the latest techniques and strategies, but also form lasting professional relationships. In this year of enormous significance, the inaugural edition of C5’s Investment Treaty Arbitration conference in London, part of C5’s market-leading series of legal events, will provide you with the latest tools needed to initiate, conduct and succeed in investment treaty arbitration worldwide.

Over 60 presenters from New Zealand, Australia, United States, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia Over 55 separate sessions, many aimed at construction disputes, with concurrent streams featuring construction adjudication, arbitration, mediation, expert determination and expert witnessing Plenary addresses by Hon. Chris Finlayson, New Zealand Attorney General and Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG Hon Robert Fisher QC Early-bird registration is now open. All registration completed online will go into a draw to receive registration FREE! Conference includes 2 ½ days of conferencing, Newbies Function, (for anyone new to an AMINZ or IAMA Conference), the launch, Annual Dinner, Fellows’ Breakfast, (for AMINZ and IAMA Fellows), meals at conference from just NZ$540. This price is available for a limited time only.