International Council for Commercial Arbitration

What International Council for Commercial Arbitration does

The International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) is a Netherlands-domiciled, membership-based non-governmental organization founded in 1961 and headquartered at the Peace Palace in The Hague. It is accredited by the United Nations and operates with a small Bureau staff of 11-50, the majority of whom are co-located with the Permanent Court of Arbitration. ICCA's stated mission is to promote arbitration, conciliation and other forms of dispute resolution and to harmonize the rules, laws, procedures and standards governing them.

ICCA's core products fall into three streams. First, a publications portfolio led by the ICCA Yearbook Commercial Arbitration (now in its 50th volume), the ICCA International Handbook on Commercial Arbitration, the Awards Series, the Congress Series, the Reports Series, and the ICCA Judges' Guide to the 1958 New York Convention available in 28+ translations — all prepared with assistance from the Permanent Court of Arbitration and distributed through Kluwer Law International's KluwerArbitration platform. Second, biennial ICCA Congresses — the 2026 Madrid edition drew ~1,300 delegates from 80 jurisdictions with 70+ speakers — alongside the New York Convention Judicial Outreach Roadshow launched in 2012. Third, a project-and-membership ecosystem including Young ICCA (sub-brand for younger practitioners, established 2010), the ICCA Inclusion Fund, the Karl-Heinz Böckstiegel Foundation scholarship, the biennial ICCA-Guillermo Aguilar-Alvarez Memorial Prize, and joint task forces with IBA, ASIL, SCC, Tsinghua University, NYC Bar-CPR and others covering topics such as gender diversity, arbitrator immunity, data protection, cybersecurity, and damages quantification (the DIA web app).

ICCA generates revenue through three channels: recurring individual and institutional membership fees, publication royalties/sales via Kluwer Law International, and biennial congress registration fees, with payments processed through Stripe and marketing outreach run through Mailchimp. Its customer base is the global community of international arbitration practitioners, academics, and institutions, segmented across senior practitioners, young professionals and judiciary/legal officials.

Name

International Council for Commercial Arbitration

Legal name

International Council for Commercial Arbitration

Website

https://arbitration-icca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) is a UN-accredited, Netherlands-based NGO founded in 1961 that promotes international arbitration through authoritative publications, biennial congresses, judicial outreach, and a global membership community of practitioners, academics, and institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Arbitration and Dispute Resolution Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Accreditation Appeals, Arbitration & Compliance Oversight Bodies (EDADACAL)

Keywords

• International arbitration
• Commercial dispute resolution
• Arbitration publications
• Arbitration congress
• Judicial outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

The Hague

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: ICCA generates revenue through membership fees which provide benefits including discounts on publications and events, advance notice of activities, and inclusion in membership directories.
2. Publication Sales: ICCA publishes authoritative dispute resolution materials including the Yearbook, Handbook, Awards Series, and Congress Series through Kluwer Law International. Revenue is generated from sales of these publications to the legal and arbitration community.
3. Congress Registration Fees: Revenue generated from registration fees for ICCA Congresses and conferences, which are major biennial events attracting hundreds to over a thousand international arbitration professionals.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ICCA is a worldwide non-governmental organization devoted to promoting the use and improving the processes of arbitration, conciliation, and other forms of dispute resolution. Its core offerings include biennial international congresses, a portfolio of authoritative publications (the Yearbook Commercial Arbitration, the International Handbook on Commercial Arbitration, the Awards Series, the Congress Series, the Judges' Guide to the New York Convention, and the Reports Series), judicial outreach programs (notably the New York Convention Roadshow), and a membership program including Young ICCA for junior practitioners.

Product overview

ICCA is a worldwide NGO that promotes the use and improves the processes of arbitration, conciliation and other forms of dispute resolution. ICCA operates as a platform-plus-modules organization comprising its core congress events (biennial ICCA Congresses and regional conferences), publications portfolio (ICCA Yearbook, Handbook, Awards Series, Congress Series, Reports Series, and the Guide to the New York Convention), and membership programs (ICCA membership, Young ICCA). The organization also supports diversity through the ICCA Inclusion Fund and Karl-Heinz Böckstiegel Foundation Scholarship Programme, awards the biennial ICCA-Guillermo Aguilar-Alvarez Memorial Prize, and conducts research through various project groups on topics including arbitrator immunity, gender diversity, data protection, and cybersecurity. ICCA's publications are prepared with the assistance of the Permanent Court of Arbitration and published by Kluwer Law International.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Young ICCA: A program for young professionals in international arbitration providing mentorship, skills training workshops, networking opportunities, and a path to ICCA leadership.

Products and services

• ICCA Yearbook Commercial Arbitration An authoritative reference publication covering international commercial arbitration, featuring court decisions on the New York, Washington (ICSID), and Panama Conventions, as well as arbitral awards from major institutions. Available to international arbitration practitioners and legal scholars.
• ICCA International Handbook on Commercial Arbitration A comprehensive handbook providing country reports and national arbitration laws for jurisdictions worldwide, available in print and online.
• ICCA Awards Series Publication series documenting significant arbitration awards and decisions for the international arbitration community.
• ICCA Congress Series Edited volumes documenting papers and proceedings from ICCA Congresses, published as part of the official record of each biennial event.
• ICCA Guide to Interpretation of the 1958 New York Convention Comprehensive guide for judges on the application and interpretation of the New York Convention, available in 28+ language translations.
• ICCA Reports Series Specialized reports on various arbitration topics including gender diversity, expedited arbitration, and cross-institutional cooperation.
• ICCA New York Convention Roadshow Judicial outreach programme consisting of colloquia for judges on the application of the New York Convention, addressing practical guidance for judicial handling of arbitral matters.
• ICCA Congresses Biennial international congresses bringing together the global arbitration community to discuss emerging trends, technologies, and evolving practices in international dispute resolution. Held in cities such as Madrid (2026), Hong Kong (2024), Edinburgh (2022), and San Francisco (2028).
• Young ICCA Membership Program Dedicated membership program for young arbitration practitioners providing skills training workshops, networking opportunities, and mentorship.
• ICCA Historical Database of African Dispute Resolution Online searchable database of historical arbitral proceedings involving an African government, an African party, or an African interest.
• DIA - Damages in International Arbitration Interactive web application developed by the ICCA-ASIL Task Force on Damages providing practical guidance on the quantification of damages in arbitration proceedings.
• ICCA-Guillermo Aguilar-Alvarez Memorial Prize Biennial prize awarded to the individual under 40 who has written the best published work on international arbitration, conciliation, or other forms of dispute settlement.
• Karl-Heinz Böckstiegel Foundation Scholarship Programme Scholarship programme offering financial assistance to young arbitration academics to attend the ICCA Congress.

Quantifiable outcome

• Women's representation on arbitral tribunals has doubled from 12.8% in 2015 to 25.3% in 2024, with institutional appointments reaching 37.7% in 2024

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• American Arbitration Association - International Centre for Dispute Resolution (AAA-ICDR)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2026AAA-ICDR will co-host the 28th ICCA Congress in San Francisco from May 7-10, 2028 alongside California Arbitration, Inc. (CalArb). AAA-ICDR is also involved in broader expansion efforts including ICDR Ireland.
• California Arbitration, Inc. (CalArb)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 April 2026CalArb will co-host the 28th ICCA Congress in San Francisco from May 7-10, 2028 alongside AAA-ICDR.
• Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 October 2020ICCA and SCC launched a collaboration to publish anonymized SCC awards in the ICCA Yearbook Commercial Arbitration and Kluwer Arbitration database. This increases transparency while maintaining confidentiality of individual cases.
• NYC Bar - CPR Working Group on Cybersecurity in ArbitrationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 November 2019The Working Group released the Cybersecurity Protocol for International Arbitration 2020, providing guidance on cybersecurity best practices for arbitration proceedings.
• Tsinghua UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2019The ICCA-Tsinghua University Working Group on Chinese Arbitral Practice released a Compendium of Chinese Commercial Arbitration Laws, making Chinese arbitration law materials accessible to the international community.
• International Bar Association (IBA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 February 2019ICCA and IBA established a joint task force on data protection in international arbitration to produce guidance on this challenging issue. The task force released the ICCA-IBA Roadmap to Data Protection in International Arbitration.
• Young ICCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoung ICCA is ICCA's dedicated program for young arbitration professionals, offering skills training workshops, networking opportunities, and mentorship. Established on 26 May 2010 following ICCA's 20th Congress in Rio de Janeiro.
• Kluwer Law InternationalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKluwer Law International serves as ICCA's official publisher for the Yearbook Commercial Arbitration, ICCA Handbook, Congress Series, Awards Series, and other publications. The publications are available both in print and through the KluwerArbitration online platform.
• Permanent Court of ArbitrationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCA's publications are prepared with the assistance of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The ICCA Bureau and publications offices are housed on the grounds of the Peace Palace, which is also the seat of the PCA and the International Court of Justice.
• New York Law SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAA-ICDR mentioned an upcoming symposium at New York Law School as part of its broader expansion efforts.
• CEIA (Spanish Arbitration Club)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Spanish Arbitration Club (CEIA) served as the Host Committee Co-Chair for the ICCA 2026 Madrid Congress, organizing the congress venue, social events including the Gala Dinner at Cibeles Palace, and supporting delegate participation.
• Karl-Heinz Böckstiegel FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Foundation supports young academics active in international arbitration to attend ICCA Congresses through scholarship programs. ICCA supports the Foundation's scholarship program, enabling scholars from diverse backgrounds to participate in congresses.
• African Arbitration Association (AfAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe African Arbitration Association originated as a project from ICCA's 2016 Mauritius Congress. AfAA received the 2019 GAR Award for Best Development and works to promote arbitration in Africa.
• ICCA-IBA-ASIL Task Force on DamagesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint task force developing an interactive web application (DIA - Damages in International Arbitration) to provide practical guidance on quantifying damages in arbitration proceedings.
• ICDR IrelandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAAA-ICDR announced the launch of ICDR Ireland as part of its broader expansion efforts in international dispute resolution.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA): London-based international arbitration institution administering arbitrations under its own rules. Comparable in providing arbitration services, publishing rules and guidance, and convening the international arbitration community.
• American Arbitration Association - International Centre for Dispute Resolution (AAA-ICDR): Major U.S.-headquartered international arbitration institution; ICCA's named co-host for the 2028 San Francisco Congress. Directly comparable in administering international cases, publishing rules, and serving corporate and practitioner clients globally.
• Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC): Major Asia-based international arbitration institution providing administered arbitration and mediation services. Comparable in caseload, practitioner services, and publications around arbitration rules and practice.
• Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC): Leading Asian international arbitration institution headquartered in Singapore. Comparable in administering international cases, publishing an annual report, and serving as a regional hub for international arbitration practitioners.
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) - International Court of Arbitration: Operates one of the world's leading international arbitration institutions, administering a rival caseload and competing for visibility in cross-border commercial arbitration. Highly comparable in serving the same practitioner base and offering authoritative procedural rules.
• Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC): Long-established Scandinavian arbitration institution collaborating with ICCA on Yearbook anonymized-award publication. Comparable in administering international arbitration, publishing rules, and serving as a recognized institutional seat.

Broad incumbents

• International Bar Association (IBA): Global legal profession association with an Arbitration Committee that issues widely cited guidelines (e.g., IBA Rules on Taking of Evidence). ICCA's joint task force partner on data protection and on the Roadmap to Data Protection in International Arbitration.
• Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb): Global membership body for arbitrators, mediators, and adjudicators offering Chartered Arbitrator status and training. Comparable to ICCA as a practitioner-membership organization but with a broader remit across arbitration and ADR disciplines.
• Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA): Intergovernmental arbitration institution housed at the Peace Palace alongside ICCA. ICCA's Bureau staff are physically co-located with PCA and most operational staff previously worked there — PCA assists in preparing ICCA publications.

Regional players

• Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA): Swiss-based arbitration association convening practitioners in Switzerland through conferences, publications, and the ASA Arbitration Practice. Comparable in serving the Swiss/European arbitration community and complementing ICCA's broader global remit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-council-for-commercial-arbitration
• Xx.com/ICCAArbitration
• Facebookfacebook.com/icca

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Council for Commercial Arbitration