International arbitration community gathers to discuss diversity, climate change, and other related topics

Friday, October 8, 2021 — TORTOLA, British Virgin Islands – The British Virgin Islands International Arbitration Centre (BVI IAC) is proud to host attendees for BVI Arbitration Week 2021, bringing together industry thought leaders from around the world to discuss pressing industry issues. The virtual conference, “A Little Big World,” will examine the interconnectivity of international arbitration within the scope of a global economy.

The international arbitration community will gather to discuss diversity, climate change, trust disputes, third-party funding, enforcement of arbitral awards, investor-State arbitration in the Caribbean and Latin America, advocacy and remote hearings, and other related topics.

The Hon. Dame Janice M. Pereira, DBE, LL.D., the first female Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, will present the Fourth Dr. J.S. Archibald QC Memorial Lecture. The Hon. Dawn J. Smith, Attorney General of the British Virgin Islands, will provide the keynote address for BVI Arbitration Week 2021.

Of particular note, BVI IAC Registrar Hana Doumal and BVI IAC Centre Manager Janette Brin will moderate a panel of ArbitralWomen Board Members that explores diversity within the arbitration sphere. Additionally, a panel on “Climate Change & Arbitration,” will feature Wendy Miles QC and Prof. Diane Desierto amongst other climate experts who will take a critical look at climate change’s impact on the future of arbitration.

“Our world’s extensive interconnectivity often makes our vast planet feel quite small,” said BVI IAC CEO Francois Lassalle. “Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, legal professionals and businesses have shifted operations on a global scale from conference rooms to virtual communications. Expanding globalization, surging growth in global supply chains, and widespread technology adoption make our big world feel more intimate.”

Meeting the rapidly evolving dispute resolution needs of arbitration users worldwide, the BVI IAC is a neutral, impartial, efficient and reliable dispute resolution institution and conference centre located in the British Virgin Islands and uniquely situated in the Latin American region and at the crossroads of the Americas. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology and the flexibility to meet the unique requirements of any virtual arbitration, BVI IAC offers world-class facilities for conducting arbitral hearings.

Interested professionals may register for BVI Arbitration Week 2021 for free at https://www.bviiac.org/BVI-Arbitration-Week-2021 to join arbitration practitioners from around the world.