International Arbitration: A Human Endeavour

International arbitration is built not only on legal norms and procedural frameworks, but by the individuals who craft, interpret, and implement them. This book explores how human qualities, such as perception, reasoning, and culture, inform the daily practice of international arbitration.

The volume gathers contributions presented at the twenty-sixth Congress of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA), held in Hong Kong in May 2024, under the theme International Arbitration: A Human Endeavour. Framed as both a statement and a provocation, the theme invites critical reflection on the role of the individual in a system often portrayed as neutral, objective, and abstract.

Across fifty-one chapters from fifteen thematic panels, the book explores questions at the heart of arbitral practice:

• Unveiling the Human Dimension in International Arbitration;

• The Arbitrator;

• Decision-Making and Biases;

• Sociology and Education;

• Judging the New York Convention;

• Culture, Localisation and Regionalism;

• The Advocate;

• Procedures and Behaviours;

• It’s (Not) Just Semantics - The Hidden Power of Language;

• Inter-Personal Conduct and Ethics;

• Dispute Resolution and the Global Community;

• Working in an Adversarial Environment;

• Costs and Economics; and

• International Arbitration: An AI Endeavour.

Set against a backdrop of global change and increased attention to inclusivity, transparency, and accountability in arbitration, the chapters offer timely and candid reflections on the lived experience of arbitration. They examine how the human element continues to shape arbitral justice today, but also how it may be redefined in a future increasingly influenced by social and technological changes. Together, the contributions paint a picture of international arbitration as a profoundly human endeavour, shaped by those who practice it and those who will redefine its future.