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Update from the Swiss Arbitration Centre
The Swiss Arbitration Centre continues to grow and strengthens its numbers.
Following a record caseload in 2021 – when the Swiss Chambers’ Arbitration Institution (SCAI) became the Swiss Arbitration Centre and the latest revision of the Swiss Rules of International Arbitration took place – as well as two years of consolidation in 2022 and 2023, the first six months of 2024 mark an upward trajectory in registered cases, with an 8% increase as opposed to the same semester last year.
In the first semester of 2024, the Swiss Arbitration Centre marks its position as a truly international arbitration institution, with parties to its proceedings comprising 32 different nationalities.
Expedited Procedure provisions apply in 48% of the arbitration cases commenced so far this year. Notably, in 20% of the instances in which Expedited Procedure provisions are applied, this is because the parties agree to the process even though the amount in dispute is well above CHF 1 million (the threshold up to which the Expedited Procedure provisions apply by default under the Swiss Rules of International Arbitration).
Since its inception, the Swiss Arbitration Centre has continued to lead the way with respect to gender diversity and is well on track for equality in arbitrators’ appointments. Thus far in 2024, women arbitrators have been appointed in 46% of cases where the Court was called on to appoint an arbitrator (including six out of ten appointments made by the Court in the ten highest-value cases thus far in 2024).
The Swiss Arbitration Centre is a young institution that relies on decades of history. Disputes referred to the Centre arise out of agreements concluded over time, with arbitration agreements referring to the Swiss Arbitration Centre or its predecessors, i.e. the Swiss Chambers’ Arbitration Institution (SCAI) or the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Basel, Bern, Geneva, Ticino, Vaud, Zurich, and Neuchâtel. In particular, 30% of the cases commenced so far in 2024 are based on arbitration agreements referring to the Swiss Arbitration Centre – this is a testament to the success of our institution’s re-branding just three years ago – and 60% of arbitration agreements referring to SCAI or the pre-existing Swiss Chambers of Commerce – an extraordinary display of continuity and legal certainty for users.
Recent global developments call for increased cooperation between arbitral institutions. In the past few months, the Swiss Arbitration Centre has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC) as well as a cooperation agreement with the Chinese International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) to strengthen joint efforts in promoting arbitration and ADR in international business. The Swiss Arbitration Centre has also launched an initiative aimed at holding periodic informal sessions with colleagues from other institutions to discuss good practices and current challenges.
Christopher Boog, President of the Arbitration Court and Partner with Schellenberg Wittmer comments:
“We are very happy to see how the Swiss Arbitration Centre in general and our case load in particular have developed in the first half of 2024. Our top priority continues to be to provide an outstanding service to users and arbitrators alike, and the feedback we are receiving confirms that we continue to deliver. We are excited for the projects that are in the pipeline, which will further improve the user experience.”
