In 2005 the ICC Commission on Arbitration created a Task Force to identify ways of effectively reducing time and costs in arbitration, particularly in complex cases. Even where parties agree to arbitrate under institutional rules, those rules will rarely set out detailed procedures for the conduct of the arbitration, for example in relation to document production, exchange of witness statements, expert reports and briefs. Whilst this flexibility allows the procedure to be tailor made to suit each dispute, it is important for the parties to identify and agree on the most suitable procedures as early as possible in the arbitration.

The Task Force consulted with all National Committees and produced a document entitled "Techniques for Controlling Time and Cost in Arbitration". The document is understood to set out a range of techniques, both for arbitrators and for parties, which can be used to organise the proceedings and to control their duration and cost. Parties will be able to review the proposed techniques (which may be suitable for ICC or non-ICC arbitration) and adopt those which are most suited to their dispute.

The ICC document will be launched and reviewed in depth at a one-day conference on Tuesday 27 March 2007, which will be chaired by Chris Newmark (co-chair of the Task Force) and by Peter Wolrich (chair of the ICC Commission on Arbitration). The conference is designed to provide an opportunity for discussion and comments from counsel, the ICC, arbitrators and users. Click

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for more details, or see the Arbitration events calendar.