The recent rekindling of protests against anti-Black racism has
reignited conversations around race in every industry around the
world. As society grapples with the issue of global racial
inequality, the need for diverse representation in the context of
international arbitration requires our attention, passion, and
action. Right now, lawyers have the opportunity to lead by example
through challenging the systemic discrimination facing racialized
arbitrator practitioners and by creating an inclusive international
arbitration community which values practitioners for their talent
and expertise.
Arbitral panels are often homogenous in gender, nationality,
ethnicity, race, and age. This is not surprising given that
arbitral panels are generally selected by senior (and often white
male) members of firms through word of mouth discussions with
colleagues. As firms across prioritize diversity as a core value,
lawyers and arbitrators must address the growing need for
