When the ICC International Court of Arbitration was established in 1923 no one, even among the far-sighted leaders who promoted it, could have dreamt of the success-story which this 75th Anniversary Special commemorates. Etienne Clémentel, one of the founders, said in 1923: 'I shall be accused of optimism. Yes, I am an optimist, I willingly admit it, if to be an optimist is to believe in progress, to have faith despite the difficulties of the moment, in human conscience and its aspirations towards what is right.' These words, echoed by Michel Gaudet 15 years ago,1 are repeated here as a reminder of how grateful we should be to those who have believed in international arbitration at times when only optimism could nurture that belief.

No one will deny that the ICC International Court of Arbitration can take a lot of the credit for having made arbitration the preferred method to resolve international business disputes. There is ample reason to celebrate and to take pride in the accelerating expansion of international arbitration. But we should not do so to the point of complacency, for many a challenge will have to be met in the coming years in developing appropriate answers to the evolving needs of international business for timely and effective dispute resolution. The business world is not what it was 15 years ago when the Court celebrated its 60th Anniversary. Ten years from now, it will not be what it is today.

Hence the modesty and self-analysis involved in the style and theme chosen for the 75th Anniversary meeting. The meeting was the occasion for a reflection on arbitration vis-à-vis the judiciary, the parties, the process of mediation and the legal environment that makes arbitration binding. All of this with a view to preparing for the coming decade.

The result is a tribute to all of those who have contributed to the development of international arbitration through the Court, and constitutes an essential reference for anybody interested in arbitration and the future of international dispute resolution.

Robert Briner

Chairman

ICC International Court of Arbitration

1
Sixty years on: A Look at the Future, Paris, ICC Publishing, 1984, p. 27.