The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has appointed a renewed Commission on Arbitration and ADR featuring record regional and gender diversity. The ICC Commission is now led by Melanie van Leeuwen who serves as Chair of the Commission. ArbitralWomen members Sapna Jhangiani KC and Helen Tang have been appointed as Vice-Chairs of the Commission. Other female newly appointed Vice-Chairs include Payel Chatterjee, Evelyne Memphil, Aisha Nadar, and Debora Visconte. They join current Vice-Chairs, ArbitralWomen member Caline Mouawad as well as Susanne Gropp-Stadler. ArbitralWomen member Chiann Bao co-chairs the ICC Task Force on Arbitration and ADR, Katherine Ramo co-chairs the ICC Task Force on Disability Inclusion in International Arbitration, and Sophie Nappert co-chairs the ICC Task Force Addressing Issues of Corruption in International Arbitration.
Several ArbitralWomen members have also been appointed or renewed as Delegates to the newly revamped ICC Commission including ArbitralWomen Board members, Maria Beatriz Burghetto, Sally El Sawah, Cherine Foty, Nata Ghibradze, Sara Koleilat-Aranjo, Alina Leoveanu, Mary Thomson, Louise Woods and ArbitralWomen members Pascale Accaoui Lorfing, Laurie Achtouk-Spivak, Gabriela Alvarez Avila, Sylvie Bebohi Ebongo, Julie Bedard, Cecilia Carrara, Tina Cicchietti, Stephanie Cohen, Olivia de Patoul, Diana Droulers, Elodie Dulac, Carine Dupeyron, Cecilia Flores Rueda, Anna Guillard Sazhko, Samaa Haridi, Maria Hauser-Morel, Emily Hay, Christina Hioureas, Andrea Hulbert, Iuliana Iancu, Amani Khalifa, Yasmine Lahlou, Christine Lecuyer-Thieffry, Lucy Martinez, Montserrat Manzano, Cristina Martinetti, Susan Munro, Diana Paraguacuto-Maheo, Marily Paralika, Alison Pearsal, Olena Perepelynska, Victoria Pernt, Patricia Peterson, Luminita Popa, Ina Popova, Lucia Raimanova, Adedoyin Rhodes-Vivour, Patricia Saiz, Sharapak Saleh, Patricia Shaughnessy, Erica Stein, Vanina Sucharitkul, Edna Sussman, Nancy Thevenin, Marieke Van Hooijdonk, Janet Walker, Candan Yasan Tepetas, and Galina Zukova, amongst many other women.
Delegates of ICC National Committees now include 36% women, compared to 30% initially. Of the new appointees, 42% were women.
At the presentation of the renewed Commission in Miami, Florida on 29 October 2022, Commission Secretary Dr. Hélène van Lith said: “After many months of extensive efforts with our 90+ National Committees, today our renewed membership reflects a better geographical representation with the inclusion of Delegates from emerging jurisdictions and important progress has been made towards gender diversity, professional diversity and corporate engagement. We are fortunate that some of the finest legal minds active in international dispute resolution have joined the Steering Committee as new Vice Chairs, which will ensure that the Commission is ready for its next century”.
The ICC Commission is comprised of in-house counsel, corporate representatives, academics, practicing lawyers, arbitrators, and mediators. Its mission is to gather expertise on arbitration and ADR across the ICC network to enable thought leadership, in line with the strategic objectives of ICC Dispute Resolution Services. In fulfilling its mission, the Commission produces reports and recommendations to foster understanding and raise awareness of practical, procedural and legal issues in international arbitration and ADR. The Commission provides input on proposed modifications of dispute resolution rules applied in ICC DRS. The Commission’s work and initiatives are usually undertaken by specific Task Forces or Working Groups.
Submitted by ArbitralWomen News Director Cherine Foty with thanks to Dr. Hélène van Lith for the statistical and membership information