ICCA takes steps to address harassment and gender bias in the field
Recent headlines have sparked greater awareness of and a stronger desire for action against harassment the world over. As an organization that promotes expansion of the international arbitration field and creation of opportunities for new practitioners, ICCA is committed not only to opening the doors of international arbitration but to making sure that all those who enter our community feel safe when they do. For this reason, ICCA has established a harassment protocol for the conduct of ICCA Governing Board Members, ICCA Advisory Board Members, ICCA project co-chairs, Young ICCA office-holders, and ICCA staff members. This initiative forms part of ICCA’s ongoing work on diversity issues, spearheaded by ICCA’s Committee on Inclusiveness and Diversity.
The protocol “prohibits harassment of any kind, including sexual harassment, whether it takes the form of physical, verbal or other conduct, by any office-holder or ICCA staff member.” It also creates a procedure for the reporting of complaints to one of several designated ICCA contact persons “regardless of whether the harasser is directly confronted”. All reported incidents will be investigated by ICCA and the conduct will be addressed, “taking into account the procedural rights of both complainant and accused”.
By sharing ICCA’s protocol for harassment, we hope to generate more awareness about the issue and to encourage other organizations to establish their own protocols against harassment. The full text of the protocol is available here. Queries about the protocol can be sent to: bureau@arbitration-icca.org.
ICCA is also proud to announce that we have added our signature to the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge. The Pledge seeks to address the under-representation of women on international arbitral tribunals by encouraging the arbitration community to recognise this disparity and appoint women as arbitrators on an equal opportunity basis. For more information and to take the Pledge yourself, visit: http://www.arbitrationpledge.com/.