The ICC is updating its 2017 Arbitration Rules, which will take effect on 1 January 2021 and will apply to cases registered as of that date (the “2021 Rules”).

The coronavirus pandemic and repeated lockdowns around the world have transformed the way international arbitrations are conducted today. The new changes to the ICC Arbitration Rules reflect those realities and, as noted by Alexis Mourre (the President of the ICC Court), further streamline the arbitration process to make it more efficient, flexible and transparent, for both large and small cases.

While the changes are generally limited in scope, they reflect the ICC’s desire to ensure that the ICC rules respond to the ever-changing business environment and meet the challenges of current times.

The key modifications are discussed below.