This issue of the Bulletin is largely concerned with the important question of where to conduct an international arbitration. Although laws relating to international arbitration are gradually becoming more uniform in their approach to many issues, due to initiatives such as the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration, significant differences still exist, as is evident from the very thorough article on this subject by Sigvard Jarvin, formerly the hICC Court's General Counsel and presently a member of the Court from Sweden. Mr. Jarvin's article, which is the fifth in a series of articles on the ICC arbitral process, highlights the significant consequences for the parties of the selection of the place of arbitration.

The general survey of the subject provided by Mr. Jarvin is also a prelude to the very interesting contributions of Serge Gravel on arbitration within the NAFTA area (which includes a description of Mexico's new arbitration law) and Carlos Nehring Netto on developments relating to arbitration in Brazil. In addition, Dr. Mohammed Bedjaoui, Bengt Broms and Habib Malouche have provided three very timely and useful articles on new arbitration legislation in Algeria, Finland and Tunisia, respectively. These articles are a testament to the growing list of countries that have in recent years recognized the desirability of adapting their arbitration legislation in order to foster the development of arbitration as a means of resolving international commercial disputes. Through legislative initiatives of this kind, the number and diversity of appropriate venues for ICC and other international arbitrations continues to increase, a trend that the ICC obviously welcomes.

Also contained in this issue are extracts from ICC awards relating to intellectual property rights. These extracts are being published in conjunction with the on-going review by a Working Group of the ICC's Commission on International Arbitration of the particular features of arbitration in this field in the light of the ICC's substantial experience of arbitration relating to intellectual property rights.

Eric A Schwartz

Secretary General

ICC International Court of Arbitration