The International Chamber of Commerce was founded after World War I in order to promote business and commerce worldwide. As a non-governmental international institution, it has developed multiple services for companies and entities to further the objective of facilitating international trade. Among these is its system of arbitration based on its Arbitration Rules and administered by the ICC International Court of Arbitration, a system tailored to resolve international commercial, financial and investment disputes.

In recent years the International Court of Arbitration's activity has considerably increased and expanded. The volume of cases it administers is larger, the stakes are higher, and the subject matter, such as high technology contracts and interrelated contractual arrangements, is often very complex. Companies active in new economic sectors are entrusting their disputes to ICC arbitration. The diversity of persons and entities resorting to ICC arbitration has never been so great: for example, in 1989, the parties, arbitrators, and private or public entities involved in ICC arbitration came from one hundred different countries.

In light of these new developments, the Court has decided to publish a periodical with the aim of providing clear and up to date explanations of its functions and current information on international commercial arbitration in general as well as on ICC arbitration in particular. In order to enhance this Bulletin, which is intended for all users of international commercial arbitration, whether or not familiar with the ICC system, comments and suggestions are encouraged and would be appreciated.

Stephen R. Bond

Secretary General

ICC International Court of Arbitration