ICDR news and conferences
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Upcoming ICDR conferences
Shanghai World Expo 2010—arbitration forum
The Australian Government has organised an arbitration forum as part of the Australian legal program at the Shanghai World Expo. The Forum will highlight Australia’s expertise in commercial dispute resolution and promote Australia as an international destination for arbitration. The Forum will be held on Friday, 16 July 2010.
Further information is available from the International Legal Services Advisory Council website.
ICDR News
Agreement on Model Commercial Arbitration Bill
On 7 May 2010, the Australian Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, and New South Wales Attorney General, John Hatzistergos, welcomed the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General’s decision to adopt uniform national laws on domestic arbitration.
The Attorney-General commented that: ‘This Bill means that disputes will be resolved faster and more effectively and will make Australia a more attractive venue for the resolution of international commercial disputes’.
These measures, combined with proposed amendments to the International Arbitration Act 1974 currently before Parliament and the new International Disputes Resolution Centre,will all help confirm Australia as a significant player in the international commercial dispute resolution market.
The Australian and NSW Attorneys-General issued a joint media release welcoming the development.
New international disputes centre
On 3 March 2010, the Australian Attorney-General, Robert McClelland, and NSW Attorney General, John Hatzistergos, unveiled plans to fit out Australia’s first dedicated international dispute resolution centre in Sydney.
The Attorney‑General welcomed the new centre, saying ‘The Australian International Disputes Centre will be equipped with state of the art dispute resolution facilities. Together with the depth of arbitration expertise and support services already here in Australia, the Centre will make Sydney a leading place to resolve international disputes’.
The centre is part of a wider Australian Government agenda to support Australia as a destination for international commercial arbitration, and promote the expertise of Australian arbitrators.
A copy of the Attorney‑General’s remarks at the launch of the Australian International Disputes Centre is available from the Attorney-General’s website. The Australian and NSW Attorneys-General also issued a joint media release on the establishment of the International Commercial Dispute Resolution Centre.
Amendments to the International Arbitration Act 1974
On 25 November 2009, the Attorney‑General, Robert McClelland MP introduced reforms into Parliament to amend the Australian International Arbitration Act 1974.
The proposed amendments are to remove any ambiguity in the Act and to ensure that it is consistent with the 2006 amendments to the Model Law on Arbitration of the UNCITRAL Working Group II (Arbitration). The Attorney-General, the Hon Robert McClelland MP, released a discussion paper proposing the amendments in November 2008 and invited submissions from interested parties. More information is available from the Attorney-General's Department website.