11 September, 2015
The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) and the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration (KLRCA) have signed an agreement declaring their commitment to launching a CIArb Asian Directorate Office at KLRCA's premises in the prestigious Bangunan Sulaiman.
This is to be the first Regional Centre for CIArb outside London, which will assist both members and branches.
The collaborative agreement signed is focused on establishing a basis upon which both CIArb and the KLRCA may explore areas for co-operation in respect of the use of services provided by the KLRCA and the CIArb to both international and domestic parties. The agreement will also see both parties jointly organising seminars, conferences and educational programmes on arbitration and alternative dispute resolution from time to time.
This agreement is timely given the continued growth of arbitration in the Far East which has increased the possibility for the use of Asian centres as seats and venues for commercial and investor state dispute arbitrations, given their geographic proximity and cultural familiarity to Asian parties.
Camilla Godman, Regional Director for the Far East and Australasia commented, "We are very excited to be launching CIArb's first regional office outside the United Kingdom at the KLRCA, enabling us to increase our offering to current members and future members in the Far East and Australasia. This is a significant milestone and we will continue to see ADR go from strength to strength in this region. We are grateful to the KLRCA and Datuk Sundra for giving us this opportunity”.
Professor Datuk Sundra Rajoo, Director of KLRCA and current Deputy President of CIArb added, "This strategic alliance will undoubtedly create a dynamic synergy that will spark a greater frontier for the ADR landscape in this region”.
CIArb Director General, Anthony Abrahams, concluded, "Twenty five percent of our membership is within this particular region. This region is a dynamic region which lends itself to a Regional Directorate. Looking forward to the future, I expect this region to grow exponentially as we provide resources to the branches and to the whole region for its development”.
