PCA Secretary-General as Appointing Authority

The Secretary-General of the PCA will act as the appointing authority under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules or other arbitration rules if so designated by an arbitration clause, a subsequent agreement of the parties, or otherwise.

Appointment of Arbitrators

When acting as the appointing authority and requested to appoint a sole or presiding arbitrator, the Secretary-General will generally follow the list-procedure as provided for under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules (Art. 6(3) of the 1976 Rules; Art. 8(2) of the 2010 and 2013 Rules). In accordance with the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, the Secretary-General will exercise his discretion when requested to appoint a second arbitrator. The Secretary-General’s choice of arbitrators for the list-procedure or direct appointments is not limited to any list or panel, and the Secretary-General is therefore free to choose the most appropriate person for the matter at hand.

Challenges to Arbitrators

When deciding challenges, the Secretary-General, depending on the circumstances of the case, may make the decision directly or after consultation with a special committee, consisting of three persons, a majority of whom will be of nationalities different from that of any party.

Arbitrator Fees and Expenses

Under the 2010 and 2013 versions of the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, appointing authorities and the Secretary-General of the PCA are granted additional roles in relation to arbitrators’ fees and expenses.

1. Where the Secretary-General of the PCA is designated to act as appointing authority, any party may:

refer an arbitral tribunal’s proposal regarding the manner in which its fees and expenses will be determined to the Secretary-General for review and, if necessary, adjustment (Art. 41(3));
refer an arbitral tribunal’s determination of its final fees and expenses to the Secretary-General for review and, if necessary, adjustment (Art. 41(4)(a)-(b)).

2. Where no appointing authority has been agreed upon or designated, any party may:

refer an arbitral tribunal’s determination of its final fees and expenses to the Secretary-General for review and, if necessary, adjustment (Art. 41(4)(a)-(b)).

Further Information

An explanation as to the Secretary-General’s role as appointing authority may also be found in a Spotlight on the PCA’s Appointing Authority Activities (published in the 2018 Annual Report).

Procedure for Requesting the Secretary-General to Act as Appointing Authority

Where the Secretary-General is empowered to act as appointing authority by agreement of the parties, requests that the Secretary-General take any action as appointing authority should be directed to:

The Secretary-General
Permanent Court of Arbitration
Peace Palace
Carnegieplein 2
2517 KJ The Hague
The Netherlands

Tel: +31 70 302 4165
Fax: +31 70 302 4167
Email: [email protected]

and be accompanied by:

A copy of the arbitration clause, agreement, or other instrument establishing the applicability of the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules and the designation of the Secretary-General as appointing authority;
A copy of the notice of arbitration served upon the respondent, as well as the date of such service;
An indication of the nationalities of the parties;
The names and nationalities of the arbitrators already appointed, if any;
A power of attorney evidencing the authority of the person making the request; and
Payment of the non-refundable appointing authority fee.

The non-refundable administrative fee for the Secretary-General of the PCA to act as the appointing authority under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules is €3,000. The fee is required to be paid in advance and is non-refundable, and should be made to the PCA by bank transfer as follows:

Bank:	ABN Amro Bank N.V.
	ABN Amro Bank N.V. Gustav Mahlerlaan 10 1082 PP Amsterdam The Netherlands
Bank Identifier Code (BIC):	ABNANL2A
Account number:	0533 5072 27
IBAN:	NL23 ABNA 0533 5072 27
Beneficiary:	Permanent Court of Arbitration

Please mention the name of the case and party for whom the payment is made as a payment reference on your bank transfer.