ICC has announced the renewal of Melanie van Leeuwen as Chair of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR for a second term and the appointment of twelve new Vice-Chairs to the Commission’s Steering Committee. The new Vice-Chairs will join six current Vice-Chairs serving for a second term.
The new composition of the Steering Committee reflects ICC’s ongoing commitment to ensuring balanced representation of established and emerging jurisdictions in dispute resolution, as well as to promoting regional diversity.
All leading professionals in their respective regions, the newly appointed Vice-Chairs are:
- Sabrina Aïnouz, Tunisia
- Cecilia Azar, Mexico
- Peter Durning, USA
- Rachel Howie, Canada
- Patrick Ikwueto, Nigeria
- Patrick Leonard, Ireland
- Marily Paralika, Greece
- Shaneen Parikh, India
- Matthew Secomb, Australia
- Justyna Szpara, Poland
- Nathalie Voser, Switzerland
- Cristiano de Sousa Zanetti, Brazil
Over the last three years, the Commission has been particularly productive in providing guidance and establishing best practices in the fields of effective conflict management, settlement facilitation, leveraging IT in arbitration and disability inclusion. We owe a great debt of gratitude to the outgoing Vice-Chairs and members who have been instrumental in providing the thought leadership necessary to ensuring that the practice of arbitration and ADR is attuned to the needs of its users and in sync with the rapidly changing economic environment. I am delighted that the Steering Committee will be reinforced by such a diverse group of eminent practitioners and corporate representatives.
Melanie van Leeuwen, Chair of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR
Renewed membership
Now comprising over 1,400 members from more than 100 countries, the Commission has seen a significant increase in representation from in-house counsel and corporate representatives. The new composition, which includes members of the ICC Court, who are ex officio members of the Commission, also advances ICC goals to improve gender, generational, professional and regional diversity, moving closer to reaching gender parity.
The new composition of the Commission and its leadership for 2024-2027 is marked by increased corporate and regional engagement and reflects Melanie van Leeuwen’s vision and perseverance, as well as the strength of ICC’s global network. The past term led to the pioneering Commission reports on disability inclusion, settlement facilitation and effective conflict management. The upcoming term promises both the completion of ongoing work on anti-corruption and expedited proceedings as well as the creation of new Task Forces to provide guidance and thought leadership on important topics in international dispute resolution
Hélène van Lith, Commission Secretary
In July 2023, the Commission published the ICC Guide on Effective Conflict Management and Report on Facilitating Settlement in International Arbitration. ICC’s Guide on Disability Inclusion in International Arbitration, published in October 2023, won a prestigious Equal Representation in Arbitration (ERA) Pledge Award.
Current projects include a Task Force to address corruption issues and a Working Group providing insights on expedited procedure provisions and updating existing Commission reports.
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