The Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge (“Arbitration Pledge” or “ERA Pledge”) has announced that, as of 9 March 2022, the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (“ICCA”) is the new official host of the ERA Pledge Female Arbitrator Search Tool. This collaboration between the Arbitration Pledge and ICCA is an exciting next step for the ERA Pledge Female Arbitrator Search Tool!
As many in the arbitration community may know, The ERA Pledge Female Arbitrator Search Tool is a resource that was launched in 2016 which allows practitioners and parties who require assistance in their search for diverse arbitrators to identify qualified female arbitrators to hear their cases.
Arbitrator search requests are submitted to the ERA Search Committee on a confidential basis by submission of a completed arbitrator search request form on the ICCA website here. The ERA Search Committee, a sub-group of the ERA Steering Committee. and is comprised of more than 20 members from dispute resolution organisations who work on a volunteer and independent basis. No members of the ERA Search Committee are employed by law firms.
Arbitrator request forms are sent directly to the independent ERA Search Committee, which responds by providing a list of female candidates based on the criteria set out in the arbitrator search form. The ERA Search Committee does not recommend arbitrators (nor does the Arbitration Pledge or ICCA) but rather provides a list of female candidates responsive to the request form. Additionally, no member of the ERA Search Committee may be listed as a potential candidate on the list provided in response to a request form.
To achieve the ERA Pledge call for appointment of female arbitrators on an equal opportunity basis, it was considered that arbitration users may sometimes need assistance. Therefore, to further facilitate their search for female arbitrators, The ERA Pledge provides links to a few organisations that list female arbitrator profiles on their respective websites. If users require further assistance, the online request form allows parties and counsel to complete the form to indicate the expertise and criteria sought to enable the ERA Search Committee to prepare a list of potential female candidates.
The ERA Search Committee may include on a list of potential female arbitrator candidates some women who are less well-known in the arbitration community but have the relevant experience and profile responsive to the request form.
The ERA Search Committee does not contact any potential female candidates and no women who on a list provided by the ERA Search Committee are aware that their names have been included on a list. It is entirely within the discretion of the arbitration user to contact any female candidate on a list provided by the ERA Search Committee.
We are excited about this latest collaboration between the Arbitration Pledge and ICCA to promote women and diversity in international arbitration.
Submitted by Mirèze Philippe, ArbitralWomen co-founder, Member of the ERA Pledge Steering Committee and of the ERA Search Committee