Welcome from the Editors-in-Chief

Samaa Haridi and Julien Fouret

For this second issue of 2018, we would like to warmly thank Dyalá Jimenez as she is stepping down as co-Editor-in-Chief of the Bulletin following her recent appointment as Foreign Trade Minister of Costa Rica. Her dedication to the Bulletin and keen involvement with the ICC Community will be missed, and we wish her well in her new public role. She is replaced by Samaa Haridi, a member of the Editorial Board since the revamp of the Bulletin in January 2017, and a new member of the ICC Court as of 1 July 2018.

Regarding the contents of this issue, we are happy to first share a few words from the new ICC Secretary General, John Denton, on his ambitions for the ICC Dispute Resolution services around the world.

In our Global Developments section, we provide readers with updates from the Americas, Asia, and Europe, and more specifically, with a new regulation of dispute boards in State Contracts in Sao Paulo, an Indian Supreme court decision regarding foreign law practitioners, and a new arbitration regime in Ukraine.

The Commentary section provides three substantial articles. First, we are pleased to publish the recently held Proskauer Lecture, in partnership with the ICC which will address some practical thoughts to ensure that arbitration remains ‘trendy’ and in keeping with the same pace as its business and legal environment. The second article will comprehensively address the soft law powers of both the ICC and UNICTRAL in the making of norms in international arbitration. Finally, the third article will address a rarely tackled issue, namely the automotive industry and ICC Arbitration to understand whether there is a need for an industry specific forum in this highly specialized sector.

The ICC Practice and Procedure section will then consist of the highly sought and awaited ICC Statistical Report providing, as always, an extremely detailed and insightful understanding of the past year’s activity of ICC Dispute Resolution Services.

The ICC Activities’ section is a particularly diverse and rich in content as it comprises no less than six reports. From a report on the biggest mediation event worldwide, namely the ICC Mediation Week, to addressing how to manage a construction dispute and a conference on energy disputes, as well as the awarding of a much deserved special diversity Prize to ICC Special Counsel, Mirèze Philippe.

Finally, the Book Review Section presents two monographs. The publication of the ICC Institute’s Prize winning thesis on wrongful judicial acts in investment arbitration and a useful analysis of a reoccurring situation in the construction industry: multi-party and multi-contract arbitrations.

As always, we thank our contributors, our Editorial Board members, Stéphanie Torkomyan, Publications Manager and Claire Héraud, Publications Senior Assistant for ICC Dispute Resolution Services. We would not be able to publish this Bulletin quarterly without the joint effort of all these individuals.