LCIA wins the ERA Pledge GAR Award 2020 10 July 2020 The LCIA is delighted and honoured to have won the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge Award at the 10th Annual GAR Awards. At the virtual awards ceremony yesterday, Director General, Professor Dr Jacomijn van Haersolte-van Hof (Jackie) accepted the award on behalf of the LCIA, in recognition of the fact that 43% of the LCIA's appointments of arbitrators in 2018 were of female arbitrators. This recognition is even more pertinent because, as the recently released 2019 numbers show, last year the LCIA approached parity in gender diversity with 48% of arbitrators selected by the LCIA being female. The LCIA is always looking for ways to improve inclusivity and while we are very proud of how far we have come the job is far from done. The Black Lives Matter campaign has rightly gained enormous traction. As individuals and as a group we should reflect on these developments. Racism cannot be tolerated and we must do everything in our power to combat it. This means standing united with everyone potentially affected, and offering and providing support. As stated in Jackie’s Award acceptance speech: “Everyone needs to lean in and the LCIA must continue to do its bit. This means continuing finding and appointing good female arbitrators, and nudging parties and co-arbitrators to follow suit. And even then, our job isn't done. Diversity is more than gender diversity and while continuing to try to lead the way when it comes gender diversity our focus must also be on the numerous other forms of diversity, some of which are even more difficult to record and to impact.” You can read the full speech below: “I am delighted and honoured on behalf of the LCIA to accept the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge award in recognition of the fact that 43% of the LCIA's appointments of arbitrators in 2018 were of female arbitrators. It is a reflection of the hard work done by the LCIA Secretariat and the LCIA Court to bring the total number of female appointments more in line with the natural equilibrium of 50%. The pledge is dear to my heart. Just before joining the LCIA in 2014, I spoke on a panel at ICCA Miami about the importance of diversity and floated the idea of a pledge. At the time, this was not more than an abstract idea and it took the perseverance and dedication of others to make the Pledge into a tangible reality. I feel strongly that change can only be made when all stakeholders contribute, not only the institutions. Institutions are uniquely placed to report on numbers. The LCIA had started to report on numbers a few years before my arrival. Since then, we have enhanced the processes to appoint female arbitrators. The LCIA selects approximately 50% of all arbitrators it appoints, and these include disproportionately more “difficult” and significant slots, namely the chairs and sole arbitrators. The fact that nevertheless we were able to select 43% female appointees makes me very very proud of the LCIA. And even more so, because as the recently released 2019 numbers show, last year the LCIA approached parity with 48% of arbitrators selected by the LCIA being female arbitrators. This does not mean that our job is done. Everyone needs to lean in and the LCIA must continue to do its bit. This means continuing finding and appointing good female arbitrators, and nudging parties and co-arbitrators to follow suit. And even then, our job isn't done. As I said at the outset diversity is more than gender diversity and while continuing to try to lead the way when it comes gender diversity our focus must also be on the numerous other forms of diversity, some of which are even more difficult to record and to impact. For now, thank you again and I would like to propose a virtual toast to the Pledge and the inspiring people behind it.” To view the recently released LCIA figures: Annual Casework Report 2019