In commemoration of the founding of ICCA 50 years ago in 1961, an extraordinary additional ICCA conference was held in Geneva in May 2011. Over 500 ICCA Council Members, prominent arbitration experts and emerging young practitioners gathered to reflect on developments in the field of arbitration in the last 50 years and to ask which developments will take place over the next 50 years. The celebrations commenced with Young Practitioners' Events on 19 May, followed by a Commemoration Dinner at which the Keynote Address by V.V. Veeder focused on "Memories from ICCA's first 50 years". Highlights from specially-commissioned commemorative interviews with Prof. Pieter Sanders and Prof. Pierre Lalive were screened during the dinner. (The full interviews can be viewed on this page.)

The final session of the conference proceedings on 20 May looked to the future, asking what will change in the future, and giving the stage to two young practitioners to share their vision.

This page gives a flavour of the proceedings.

A commemorative booklet setting out some of ICCA's 50-year history and its current activities was produced for the celebration in Geneva. It can be viewed below.

May 20th, 2011

08:00    Registration and coffee – Hotel President Wilson

09:00

Opening address
>Jan Paulsson, President of ICCA, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, University of Miami

Introduction of Conference Topic
> Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler, Levy Kaufmann-Kohler, University of Geneva

09:15 :: Session 1

The Present : Commercial Arbitration as a Transnational System of  Justice?

• Legal Foundations of Arbitration
• Their Implications on the Jurisdiction of Courts and the Powers of Arbitrators
• Towards More State Control?

Chair:
> Albert Jan van den Berg, Hanotiau van den Berg, Erasmus University Rotterdam, University of Miami

Reporter:
> W. Michael Reisman, Yale Law School

Commentators:
> Emmanuel Gaillard, Shearman & Sterling, University of Paris XII
> Luca G. Radicati Di Brozolo, Bonelli Erede Pappalardo, Catholic University of Milan
> Karim Youssef, Amereller Legal Consultants, Cairo University

10:45 :: Coffee Break

11:15 :: Session 2

• New Form of Public Adjudication, Constitutionalization of International Law, Species of Global Administrative Law, or All Three?
• Post-Colonial Economic Regulation of Neutral Facilitation of Economic Development?
• Implications for the Investment Treaty Arbitrator
  

Chair:
> Donald Francis Donovan, Debevoise & Plimpton, New York University

Reporter:
> José E. Alvarez, New York University

Commentators:
> Frank Berman QC, Essex Court Chambers, Oxford University
> Anthea Roberts, London School of Economics
> Bruno Simma, International Court of Justice

13:00 :: Lunch Break at The Grand Hotel Kempinski

14:45 :: Session 3

 - Will Players change?

• Parties
• Counsel
• Arbitrators
• Arbitral Institutions
• Judges
• National Legislators

- Will proceedings change?

• More rigid rules or Return to flexibility?
• More soft dispute settlement methods and flight from arbitration?

- Will practice evolve towards convergence or differentiation?

- Will the same changes apply to commercial and investment arbitration?

- How should ICCA address the changes?

 
Chair:
> Gabrielle Kaufmann-Kohler

Speakers:
> Guillermo Aguilar Alvarez, King & Spalding
> Karl-Heinz Böckstiegel, Chairman, German Institution of Arbitration (DIS)
> The Hon. Justice Clyde Croft, Supreme Court of Victoria
> Christopher R. Drahozal, University of Kansas
> Lord Goldsmith QC, Debevoise & Plimpton
> Beat Hess, Legal Director, Royal Dutch Shell
> Catherine Kessedjian, University of Pantheon-Assas Paris II
> Campbell McLachlan QC, Victoria University of Wellington, Bankside Chambers, Essex Court Chambers
> Renaud Sorieul, Secretary General, UNCITRAL
> Lu Ariel Ye, King & Wood, Beijing

16:45   

Conclusion on Conference Topic
Pierre Tercier, University of Fribourg, Honorary President, ICC Court of Arbitration, with the participation of two surprise speakers from the future.

Closing of Conference
Jan Paulsson