The passage of another year has brought with it more activity and diversity at the ICC International Court of Arbitration.

As our readers will see from the statistical report that has become traditional in the first issue of the Bulletin each year, the ICC Court received more than 400 new requests for arbitration in 1995, the first time this has ever occurred. Over the course of the last two decades, the busiest in the Court's history, the Court has seen its caseload more than double.

As recourse to arbitration continues to grow internationally, the Court is devoting more and more of its resources to the dissemination of information about the arbitral process and seminars and colloquia throughout the world. In this connection, we are pleased to announce that the ICC has established a site on the World Wide Web (http:/www.1.usa1.com/~ibnet/icchp.html) and that, in the coming months, more information about the ICC arbitral process, including the ICC arbitration and conciliation rules and the pre-arbitral refer and expertise rules, will, this, be available electronically twenty-four hours a day throughout the world. It is, moreover, already possible to communicate directly with the Secretariat of the Court with regard to this Bulletin and other matters by email (101643.1233@compuserve.com).

The Bulletin, meanwhile, continues to augment its readership, which today extends to more than 65 countries. This issue is especially rich with contributions from the Chairman of the Court and Roland Amoussou-Guenou, the latter addressing the often neglected subject of arbitration in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition, readers will find a great deal of valuable information in the Final report on the Status of the arbitrator of the ICC Commission Working Party chaired by Professor Fouchard as well as in the collection of extracts from ICC awards relating to the determination of the law applicable to the contract, a fundamental issue in many arbitrations. We also thank Hans van Houtte for his interesting summary of the ICC Institute's annual meeting in Brussels last October on the subject of A.D.R.

Eric A. Schwartz

Secretary General

ICC International Court of Arbitration