<i>Clause de règlement des différends</i>

'This Agreement shall be applied and interpreted in accordance with and shall be governed by Swiss law applicable in Geneva (Canton of Vaud) . . .

For all questions of unresolved dispute or disagreement, which may hereafter arise between the parties concerning this Agreement, the rules of the Arbitration Court of the International Chamber of Commerce in Geneva shall be applied to appoint the Arbitration Board. Seat of arbitration will be Geneva, Switzerland . . .'

[Dans cette affaire, le défendeur a soutenu que le droit suisse obligeait les parties à la conciliation préalable et que le recours à l'arbitrage était exclu tant que l'échec du règlement à l'amiable n'avait pas été constaté par écrit.]

<i>Décision du tribunal arbitral</i>

'The Concordat does not provide for a preliminary conciliation procedure prior to any recourse to arbitration, unless the Parties provide otherwise.

The Agreement, contrary to [Defendant]'s contention, does not provide for compulsory conciliation and, failing conciliation, for a procès-verbal stating such failure, before any action may be filed with the Arbitrator.

Contrary to the Concordat, the Geneva Code de Procédure (art. 50) does provide for such compulsory conciliation, which is, provided an action is later brought before the State Courts, a starting point of lis pendens.

But the Concordat as lex specialis relating to arbitration supersedes and takes precedence over the Cantons' procedural laws (art. 1(1) Concordat; art. 457 Geneva Code de Procédure; Jolidon, op. cit.1, page 59; Craig, Park, Paulsson,op. cit. <footnote_2, page 80).

. . . . . . . . .

Is conciliation prior to any recourse to arbitration compulsory under Swiss law? Answer: No.'

1
P. Jolidon, Commentaire du Concordat suisse sur l'arbitrage (Berne, 1984).

2
W.L. Craig, W.W. Park, J. Paulsson, International Chamber of Commerce Arbitration (Paris 1984).