Publish time: Thu May 11 09:26:01 CST 2017
On the morning of April 27 2017, Prof. Donald Francis Donovan, President of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (the “ICCA”), Prof. Albert Jan van den Berg, former President of the ICCA, and Prof. Jane Willems of the International Arbitration and Dispute Settlement program of Tsinghua University School of Law visited the Beijing Arbitration Commission / Beijing International Arbitration Center (the “BAC”). Mr. Lin Zhiwei, Secretary General of the BAC, Dr. Chen Fuyong, Deputy Secretary General of the BAC, Mr. Xu Jie, BAC Senior Brand Manager, and Ms. Zhang Xi, BAC Case Manager, welcomed the guests.
Group photo
Ever since its establishment in 1961, the ICCA has been devoted to promote the harmonization of arbitration and conciliation rules, laws, procedures and standards. As the core worldwide nongovernmental organization on dispute resolution, its publications – the ICCA Handbook and the ICCA Yearbook are important guidance of arbitration theory and practice. The practical experiences and the up-to-date research results of arbitration experts from all over the world will gather at the biennial ICCA Congress, which will lead the development trend of international arbitration theory and practice and be synchronously reflected in the negotiation and revision of various international rules and treaties.
Introduction of BAC development by Mr. Lin Zhiwei
During the meeting, Mr. Lin Zhiwei and Dr. Chen Fuyong expressed warm welcome to Prof. Donovan, Prof. van den Berg and others, and presented a brief introduction of the overall status quo of the Chinese arbitration and the development trend of the BAC during the past 22 years. Mr. Lin said that the BAC has actively participated in the ICCA events such as publication and colloquia, and used to be the sponsor of the ICCA Miami Congress in 2014 and the ICCA Mauritius Congress in 2016. The BAC is also the Exclusive Diamond Sponsor of the coming ICCA Sydney Congress in 2018. The internationalized development of the BAC and the Chinese arbitration industry shared the same vision with the ICCA on the promotion of the harmonization of the arbitration industry, and so there is huge collaborative potential between the BAC and the ICCA.
Presentation of Prof. Donovan
Thereafter, Prof. Donovan spoke on behalf of the ICCA. He firstly appreciated the BAC’s hospitality, and delivered thanks to the BAC for its continuous support to the biennial ICCA Congress. Prof. Donovan presented an introduction of the establishing background and original intention of the ICCA, as well as the transformation it has experienced during the past five years. He said that the surge of Chinese practice is a part of the development of international arbitration – China not only has the strongest demand for arbitration, but also has a long and mature tradition of practice. In the foreseeable future, the cooperation and tie with Chinese arbitration will be helpful to promote the harmonization of laws, procedures and standards on international dispute resolution, and this is crucial to achieve the ICCA’s ambition. Prof. van den Berg supplemented the historical background at the very beginning of the ICCA’s establishment. He pointed out that the internationalized development of the BAC and the Chinese arbitration could adopt the ICCA’s development experience – whether to promote new arbitration ideas or to popularize certain arbitration approaches, it is always important to remember its root, namely the promotion of international economy and trade. Only promoting the idea and practice of mutual trust among arbitration users, parties and other professionals from different countries and different regions can consensus be built, where internationalization will not be just a slogan.
Next, the hosts and the guests had in-depth exchanges on influence of the “Belt and Road” initiative on international arbitration, the future development of the Chinese arbitration industry, the feasibility of in-depth cooperation between the ICCA and the BAC. Following the meeting, Mr. Lin Zhiwei presented souvenirs to Prof. Donovan and Prof. van den Berg on behalf of the BAC. Then Dr. Chen showed the guests around the BAC’s modern arbitration facilities.
The BAC, with the aim of delivering trusted professional services, will endeavor to promote and encourage the resolution of disputes through efficacious arbitration and a comprehensive understanding of Chinese arbitration practice. Towards this end, the BAC looks forward to work with the ICCA in pushing the internationalized development of the Chinese arbitration industry while sharing the Chinese experience of arbitration institutions and arbitration services to the world.