ICCA Announces 2026 Congress Theme and Programme Committee

ICCA is pleased to announce that the theme for the next ICCA Congress will be “International Arbitration: Local, Global or Both?”

The 27th ICCA Congress, to be held from 12-15 April 2026, will be hosted in Madrid by the Club Español e Iberoamericano del Arbitraje (CEIA). As is customary, the Congress theme was devised by the Congress Programme Committee, which is co-chaired for ICCA 2026 Madrid by Samaa Haridi, Prof. Vladimir Pavić, and Tom Sikora, and comprises the following members:

• Steve Andersen 
• Gourab Banerji 
• Prof. Stavros Brekoulakis 
• Charles H. Brower II 
• Heidi López Castro 
• Eva Chan 
• Valeria Galíndez
• Prof. Dr. Ursula Kriebaum 
• Dr. Abayomi Okubote, FCIArb 
• Dr. Georgios Petrochilos KC 
• Dr. Levent Sabanogullari 
• Ana Stanič 

The following overview, prepared by the Programme Committee, outlines the central focus areas of the Congress theme:

International arbitration aspires to be universally effective for resolving disputes globally.  Dominant influences on the conduct and growth of international arbitration over the last several decades have emerged from popular arbitral venues.  As international arbitration has continued to expand to an increasing number of regions, so has acceptance of greater variation in how arbitration is practiced.  This has gradually led to the development of a specialized pool of international arbitration practitioners, increasing the depth of talent and fostering the internationalization of the bar, but not to the exclusion of local practitioners.

 

With the growth of international arbitration into new regions, international arbitration has both adapted to and adopted certain local nuances and given impetus to the harmonization of varying international practices, including attempts to articulate generally accepted procedural and ethical standards. 

 

The Congress will examine the interplay between adaptation and harmonization and how international arbitration can balance cohesive global standards with the preservation of regional and cultural wealth. Initiatives such as the UNCITRAL Model Law and the IBA rules and guidelines have facilitated significant uniformity in procedural and ethical standards, thereby enhancing arbitration’s procedural predictability worldwide. But the pursuit of homogenization – at the expense of local traditions – risks alienating stakeholders in regions with unique legal and cultural frameworks. By thoughtfully navigating the interplay between local adaptation and harmonization, international arbitration can evolve as the globally accepted dispute resolution mechanism it is meant to be. The inherent flexibility of arbitration facilitates the simultaneous pursuit of harmonization and adaptation to local preferences as the best approach for the future.

 

Regional trends and preferences are neither signs nor consequences of fragmentation; rather, they widen the base of the acceptance of arbitration and make it more resilient and responsive to challenges confronting the ‘mainstream’ approaches. The Congress will offer opportunities to amplify regional voices and incorporate diverse perspectives through insights from all stakeholders, with the goal of fostering active participation and dialogue during the sessions and introducing new perspectives and practices that may challenge traditional approaches.

For over 60 years, ICCA has provided the international arbitration community with a forum to engage with one another and to develop and improve dispute resolution theory and practice. ICCA is pleased to offer the international arbitration community another opportunity to do just that at ICCA 2026 Madrid.

Visit the dedicated website of ICCA Madrid 2026: icca2026.es for more information. The ICCA website will also provide regular updates on the Programme. A call for expressions of interest to speak at the Congress will be announced at a later date. Further information will be provided in due course.