Global Arbitration Review has released its shortlists for the GAR Awards 2020, including the shortlist for the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge Award (Pledge Award). ArbitralWomen is honoured that the ArbitralWomen Diversity Toolkit™ – a bespoke training programme designed to help us see the role played by biases and explore ways to address and overcome them – is among the diversity initiatives shortlisted for the Pledge Award. Voting is now open for the GAR Awards 2020. GAR subscribers can login and cast their vote here. Voting will close at midnight in London on 1 March. Since so many of us travel to and live in many different time zones around the world, we suggest that those who wish to vote do so by no later than 29 February. We have set out below the Pledge Award shortlist. Congratulations to all the diversity initiatives that have been shortlisted, many of which are led by ArbitralWomen Members and to which ArbitralWomen has provided its support. While ArbitralWomen would be delighted to win the Pledge Award this year, it is important to recognise that all the shortlisted initiatives contribute to our common goal to promote gender parity and diversity in dispute resolution. The Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge itself, now with more than 4,000 signatories globally, is also deserving of congratulations for its substantial work to promote diversity. Indeed, GAR awarded the Arbitration Pledge “Best Development in Arbitration” in 2017.

Regardless of the winner of this year's Pledge Award, the shortlist has already put so many worthy diversity initiatives in the spotlight. It is encouraging to see such progress being achieved and pursued on so many fronts.

Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge Award Shortlist:

• ArbitralWomen Diversity Toolkit™ training programmes (rolled out during 2019)
• JAMS introduces an optional diversity and inclusion rider to its standard arbitration clauses and appoints a diversity programme manager (October 2019)
• WWA-LATAM initiative (Women Way in Arbitration Latin America) launched to promote women in arbitration in Latin America (June 2019)
• Lucy Greenwood’s continued efforts to collate data and report on female arbitrator appointment statistics (October 2019)
• 43% of LCIA appointments for 2018 were of female arbitrators (reported 1 April 2019)
• AmCham Peru appoints a majority of female court members (December 2019)
• Katherine Simpson provided CETA signatories with a list of 70 experienced women trade experts for inclusion in the CETA List of Arbitrators (January 2020)
• All three Vice Presidents at the International Commercial Arbitration Court (ICAC) at the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry are female (last two appointments made in January and October 2019)

Finally, there are many other important GAR award categories for which individuals, entities and initiatives have been shortlisted. ArbitralWomen naturally focuses on the diversity nominations but does not in any way mean to diminish the importance of all the GAR awards. You are encouraged to cast your vote for all award categories!