New International Organization in Austria: Opening of the Office of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Vienna
New International Organization in Austria: Opening of the Office of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Vienna
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) will officially open a regional office in Vienna on April 14, 2022, adding another institution to the list of international organizations in Austria. On the occasion of the opening of the new office, the Head of the International Law Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Helmut Tichy, welcomed the Secretary General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, Hugo Siblesz, at the Prinz Eugen Winter Palace, where the first proceedings will already take place in May. The new office of the Permanent Court of Arbitration started its work at the beginning of April.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration is one of the oldest and most prestigious international institutions, dating back to the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907. Today, the Permanent Court of Arbitration has 122 member states, including Austria. Its headquarters are in The Hague, in the Peace Palace which was built for it. Vienna is now home to the fourth branch of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which also has offices in Buenos Aires, Mauritius and Singapore.
“Vienna has a long tradition as a venue for the peaceful resolution of international disputes. I am therefore all the more pleased that, as the official seat of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, we can make a further contribution to the settlement of cross-border disputes.”
says Ambassador Helmut Tichy, head of the International Law Office at the Foreign Ministry.
With the establishment of the PCA in Vienna, the existing arbitration hub in Vienna will be further expanded. In addition to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, Vienna is already home to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and the Vienna International Arbitral Centre at the WKÖ. In addition, the Vienna Sales Convention was adopted in Vienna. The annual William C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Court is also held in Vienna.
“I am grateful for the support of the Federal Republic of Austria in opening a PCA office in Vienna, thus expanding access to PCA dispute resolution services. Around the world, disputing parties are seeking the assistance of the PCA in greater numbers and on a wider geographical scale than ever before. This includes Europe, where growth in demand to organize hearings throughout the region has grown significantly. The ability of the PCA to administer proceedings in more venues enhances its flexibility and efficiency, two of the hallmarks of international arbitration. The new PCA office in Vienna, which will already host a hearing in May, will make a valuable contribution to the goal set forth in the PCA’s founding conventions for the PCA ‘to be available at all times’.”
said Hugo Siblesz, Secretary General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration provides dispute resolution services in arbitration proceedings between states, international organizations and private entities and has seen a tremendous surge in its caseload in recent decades. The cases handled cover a wide range of topics, such as the resolution of maritime or land border disputes, the enforcement of sovereignty rights, or the rapidly growing area of investment disputes between states and international investors.
In addition to the 51 international and quasi-international organizations that have their headquarters in Austria, the Permanent Court of Arbitration is a further international institution that has its seat in Vienna.