Secretary-General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, Hugo Siblesz, bids farewell

Today will be my last as Secretary-General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. My ten years in this role have hurried by. I would like to say thank you to all those colleagues out there, each involved in their own way in dispute settlement at the international level. Thanks to you, those years were one great adventure that I enjoyed from beginning to end. Many of you have also become friends.

What will also stay with me is a tremendous satisfaction of having worked with a highly qualified staff at the International Bureau. That is by far the part of this job that I will miss most. What I have learned to appreciate in particular is the problem-solving attitude prevalent at the International Bureau. I cannot remember a single occasion where an analysis of a problem landed on my desk without a proposal of how to deal with it.

The success of this organization is in fact based entirely on the quality of its staff. Arbitral tribunals seek our assistance because they appreciate the quality of our services. Similarly, the Secretary-General is frequently requested to act as Appointing Authority. All that reflects a fundamental trust in the way the PCA functions. My colleagues will forgive me for mentioning specifically my deputy Brooks Daly. The achievements of the PCA are to a very large extent the result of his relentless focus on quality.

Obviously, work at the PCA is work in progress. That is not surprising, as the PCA has consistently adapted itself to new circumstances since 1899. Its founders would be delighted to see how their brainchild has developed. Looking back at the past ten years of leading this institution, my conclusion is that we were successful in many respects, though not in all. I am sure that where success eluded us, a determined staff at the International Bureau will settle that score in the years to come.

Bon vent!

Hugo Siblesz