New York Convention Roadshow in Cairo, Egypt
Report written by: Ismail Selim and Mohamed Abdel Raouf.
The ICCA New York Convention Roadshow, jointly organized by ICCA and the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA), was held on Saturday, 21 June 2025 at CRCICA’s headquarters in Cairo, under the patronage of the Egyptian Ministry of Justice.
This workshop convened sixty-eight Judges: sixty-six senior Egyptian judges carefully nominated by their respective judicial authorities, alongside two judges from Somalia (which has not yet ratified the New York Convention).
The dialogue opened with welcome statements by Dr. Ismail Selim, Director of CRCICA, who emphasized the critical role of the judiciary in safeguarding the legitimacy of international arbitration. He was followed by H.E. Judge Mostafa El Behbeety, Assistant Minister of Justice for Arbitration and International Disputes, who reiterated the Ministry’s firm support for arbitration as a reliable and effective dispute resolution mechanism. Prof. Dr. Mohamed Abdel Raouf, Member of ICCA Judiciary Committee and its Middle East Judicial Liaison, introduced ICCA, its activities, publications, projects and judicial outreach.
The first working session, led by H.E. Judge Nabil Omran, Vice President of Egypt’s Court of Cassation and Chief Commissioner at the Dubai Court of Cassation, focused on critical provisions of the Convention as well as the distinction between the legal seat of arbitration and the venue of the hearings. The session addressed topics such as the recognition of arbitration agreements, judicial referral to arbitration, and procedural aspects of enforcement (Articles I, II and III of the Convention). Judge Omran offered a comparative analysis between Egyptian and Emirati judicial approaches, which was followed by an engaging Q&A with the audience.
The second session delved into current judicial practice. H.E. Judge Nabil Sadek, former Vice President of the Court of Cassation and former Public Prosecutor of Egypt, presented developments in Egyptian jurisprudence on Article III of the Convention. He was followed by Mr. Mohamed Shelbaya, Founding Partner of GBS Disputes (Paris), who shared insights on recent French case law concerning recognition and enforcement of arbitration agreements and awards. This session enriched the discussion with comparative perspectives and was concluded with open dialogue with the judges in attendance.
A major highlight of the day was the intervention by H.E. Judge Mostafa El Behbeety, who presented the Ministry of Justice’s proposed amendment to Article 3 of the Egyptian Arbitration Law, aiming to streamline and facilitate the enforcement of arbitral awards. His intervention underlined the Ministry’s ongoing legislative efforts to strengthen Egypt’s arbitration framework.
The third session was led by Prof. Dr. Mohamed Abdel Raouf, focusing on Articles IV and V(1) of the Convention. Through the presentation of concrete case studies and references to domestic and international jurisprudence, this session provided judges with practical tools for implementing the Convention’s procedural requirements and for understanding the grounds for refusal of enforcement of foreign arbitral awards.
The final session featured a high-level panel discussion with Dr. Ismail Selim, Prof. Dr. Mohamed Abdel Raouf, and Mr. Mohamed Shelbaya. The panel tackled broader legal issues such as arbitrability, international public policy (Article V(2) of the Convention) and its distinction from domestic mandatory rules. The interface of the New York Convention with regional instruments, including the Riyadh Convention. Discussion also touched on Article VII of the Convention, which allows for the application of more favourable domestic laws or treaties for enforcement. This session offered a forward-looking analysis of the evolving arbitration landscape, combining local reform efforts with comparative international best practices.
The event concluded with rich judicial reflections from the floor, where judges shared experiences from their jurisdictions, addressed practical challenges, and discussed strategies for fostering coherence in interpretation. The day ended on a high note, marked by professional camaraderie, legal enrichment, and a shared commitment to strengthening arbitration through judicial dialogue.
