2003 marks the eightieth anniversary of the creation of the ICC International Court of Arbitration. Today the Court continues to pursue the aims that inspired its founders. On a practical level, it seeks to provide reliable, neutral and effective services for resolving international business disputes, essential to cross-border trading relations. At the same time, it strives to foster discussion and encourage the development and increased recognition of arbitration and other methods of dispute resolution throughout the world. These aims are of course complementary: the quality of the services offered by the ICC Court is enhanced by the reflection that accompanies the application of the ICC Rules of Arbitration and this reflection is in turn nurtured by the experience acquired from having handled almost 13,000 cases.

The ICC International Court of Arbitration Bulletin offers a forum in which the above aims converge. In the present issue, the Guidelines for Arbitrating Small Claims under the ICC Rules of Arbitration provide practical recommendations for arbitration users. Erik Schäfer combines hands-on advice with technical explanations when discussing the use and potential of videoconferencing in arbitration. Nayla Comair-Obeid reflects on reforms in Lebanese arbitration law and their implications for companies wishing to include an arbitration clause in contracts with Lebanese public entities. We also publish in this issue two complementary articles contributing to the ongoing debate on payment of the advance on costs in ICC arbitration. Ibrahim Fadlallah discusses the issue of the parties' obligations towards each other, while Matthew Secomb reviews and cites arbitral decisions relating to payment of the advance. Lastly, the issue also includes extracts from ICC arbitral awards examining the admissibility of arbitration requests based on arbitration clauses providing for preliminary amicable dispute resolution, with an introduction and commentary by Dyalá Jiménez Figueres.

These varied contributions pursue a common goal, that of helping to make dispute resolution through arbitration as effective as possible. This was an objective the late Michel Gaudet well understood and did much to realize during his chairmanship of the ICC Court, for which he is still so fondly remembered.

Anne Marie Whitesell

Secretary General

ICC International Court of Arbitration