About Us

Then & Now

 

The Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (“CRCICA” or the “Centre”) is an independent non-profit international organization established in 1979 under the auspices of the Asian African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO), in performance of AALCO’s decision, made at the Doha Session in 1978, to establish regional centres for international commercial arbitration in Africa and Asia, seeking to promote international commercial arbitration in the Afro-Asian area.

In the exchange of letters between AALCO’s secretary general and the Egyptian Minister of Justice on 21 January 1979 establishing CRCICA, AALCO expressed its argument on the necessity of establishing institutions in Africa and Asia, including, inter alia:

  • providing a familiar forum for disputes arising from international transactions related to the two continents;
  • through institutions that will apply the UNCITRAL Rules;
  • enhancing cooperation between regional and international institutions; and promoting international commercial arbitration in the Asian and African regions.

In 1979, an international agreement was signed between the Egyptian government and AALCO. Many Agreements were made between AALCO and the Egyptian government, where in 1987 through the Headquarters Agreement and the Egyptian Presidential Decree No. 399/1987, CRCICA’s status as an international organization was recognized and the Centre and its branches were endowed with all necessary privileges and immunities of an international organization fully independent of its host state, ensuring their independent functioning.

CRCICA provides a system of dispute settlement for parties engaged in trade, commerce and investment. It provides case management services and administers international, regional and domestic arbitrations and other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms according to the CRCICA Rules, which includes arbitration, mediation and dispute board rules.

CRCICA also provides administrative and technical assistance to parties involved in ad hoc arbitrations as well as high-tech hearings rooms to parties involved in other institutional proceedings under various rules such as International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) and Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rules. Such assistance is against or without a fee depending on the arrangement with the relevant institution.

CRCICA has operated continuously in Egypt as an international arbitration centre, enjoying full financial autonomy, with a firmly stable financial position. Today, CRCICA stands as Egypt’s premier arbitral institution, a leading arbitral institution in the Middle East and in Africa, and ranks globally among prominent arbitral institutions – as a marked contender for the first choice of institution in Africa and the Middle Eas

Mission & Objectives


CRCICA is an arbitral institution, which operates in furtherance of the following objectives:

  • Providing effective dispute resolution solutions to its users;
  • Enabling access to a cost-effective arbitral process by offering case management and hearing services according to best arbitration practice;
  • Promoting arbitration and ADR culture as preferred dispute resolution mechanisms;
  • Advancing the understanding of arbitration and other ADR mechanisms within the Afro-Asian region;
  • Promoting arbitration and other ADR techniques in the Afro-Asian area through the organization of international conferences and seminars, as well as the publication of researches serving both the legal and business communities;
  • Contributing to enriching the progress of the economic development scheme in the African and Asian countries;
  • Contributing to improving the investment climate through cost-effective settlement of trade and investment disputes;
  • Facilitating the exchange of knowledge in relation to the fields of arbitration and ADR through organizing training courses, workshops and conferences; and
  • Supporting the development of legal education to enhance law students’ skills and knowledge in the field of arbitration and ADR.

About Us

Then & Now

 

The Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (“CRCICA” or the “Centre”) is an independent non-profit international organization established in 1979 under the auspices of the Asian African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO), in performance of AALCO’s decision, made at the Doha Session in 1978, to establish regional centres for international commercial arbitration in Africa and Asia, seeking to promote international commercial arbitration in the Afro-Asian area.

In the exchange of letters between AALCO’s secretary general and the Egyptian Minister of Justice on 21 January 1979 establishing CRCICA, AALCO expressed its argument on the necessity of establishing institutions in Africa and Asia, including, inter alia:

  • providing a familiar forum for disputes arising from international transactions related to the two continents;
  • through institutions that will apply the UNCITRAL Rules;
  • enhancing cooperation between regional and international institutions; and promoting international commercial arbitration in the Asian and African regions.

In 1979, an international agreement was signed between the Egyptian government and AALCO. Many Agreements were made between AALCO and the Egyptian government, where in 1987 through the Headquarters Agreement and the Egyptian Presidential Decree No. 399/1987, CRCICA’s status as an international organization was recognized and the Centre and its branches were endowed with all necessary privileges and immunities of an international organization fully independent of its host state, ensuring their independent functioning.

CRCICA provides a system of dispute settlement for parties engaged in trade, commerce and investment. It provides case management services and administers international, regional and domestic arbitrations and other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms according to the CRCICA Rules, which includes arbitration, mediation and dispute board rules.

CRCICA also provides administrative and technical assistance to parties involved in ad hoc arbitrations as well as high-tech hearings rooms to parties involved in other institutional proceedings under various rules such as International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) and Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rules. Such assistance is against or without a fee depending on the arrangement with the relevant institution.

CRCICA has operated continuously in Egypt as an international arbitration centre, enjoying full financial autonomy, with a firmly stable financial position. Today, CRCICA stands as Egypt’s premier arbitral institution, a leading arbitral institution in the Middle East and in Africa, and ranks globally among prominent arbitral institutions – as a marked contender for the first choice of institution in Africa and the Middle Eas

Mission & Objectives


CRCICA is an arbitral institution, which operates in furtherance of the following objectives:

  • Providing effective dispute resolution solutions to its users;
  • Enabling access to a cost-effective arbitral process by offering case management and hearing services according to best arbitration practice;
  • Promoting arbitration and ADR culture as preferred dispute resolution mechanisms;
  • Advancing the understanding of arbitration and other ADR mechanisms within the Afro-Asian region;
  • Promoting arbitration and other ADR techniques in the Afro-Asian area through the organization of international conferences and seminars, as well as the publication of researches serving both the legal and business communities;
  • Contributing to enriching the progress of the economic development scheme in the African and Asian countries;
  • Contributing to improving the investment climate through cost-effective settlement of trade and investment disputes;
  • Facilitating the exchange of knowledge in relation to the fields of arbitration and ADR through organizing training courses, workshops and conferences; and
  • Supporting the development of legal education to enhance law students’ skills and knowledge in the field of arbitration and ADR.

Organization​

Organizational Framework

CRCICA relies on a strong organizational framework, with an international Board of Trustees at the head, as well as an Advisory Committee.

Board of Trustees (BoT)

  • CRCICA has a Board of Trustees (BoT) consisting of ten (10) members at least and thirty (30) members at the most appointed in consultation with AALCO from amongst eminent African and Asian personalities specialized in the fields of international arbitration, law, business, trade, investment and international relations.
  • The BoT may include up to 20% of its members from outside the Afro-Asian Region from amongst figures specialized in the aforementioned fields. CRCICA’s current Board of Trustees have 24 members, with one (1) President and two (2) Vice-presidents and twenty two (21) members. The Board of Trustees is chaired by is chaired by Dr Nabil Elaraby and is also composed of two vice-chairmen from Egypt and Saudi Arabia and 21 other eminent members from Bahrain, Cameroon, Chile, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Kuwait, Lebanon, Nigeria, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Spain.
  • The term of the BoT is four years, which may be renewed once for a similar term, unless otherwise determined due to special circumstances. The BoT carries out the functions provided for in the By-laws of the Board of Trustees. This includes meeting once a year to oversee CRCICA’s caseload and in particular the following functions: 1) appointing the Director of the Centre in consultation with AALCO for a four-year term, which may be renewed once for a similar term, unless otherwise determined due to special circumstances. 2) Setting down the general policy for achieving the objectives of the Centre and 3) ratifying the Auditor’s report for each fiscal year.

Advisory Committee (AC)

CRCICA’s Advisory Committee (AC) currently consists of fifteen (15) members having a Chairman, two (2) Vice Chairmen, and twelve (12) members appointed by the Director of CRCICA from amongst the members of the Board of Trustees as well as eminent African, Asian and other personalities specialized in the fields of international arbitration and trade. The term of the AC is four years, which may be renewed once for a similar term, unless otherwise determined due to special circumstances.

At present, the AC is composed of 15 eminent members including arbitration specialists from Chile, China, Egypt, France, Iraq, Lebanon, Nigeria, United States of America, United Kingdom, Sweden and Switzerland.

The AC’s responsibilities relate more directly to the arbitral proceedings administered by the Centre, as it is tasked with providing advice (and sometimes outright deciding) issues relating to:

  • Tripartite committees formed to decide on arbitrators’ challenges and removal are formed from among members of the AC (in accordance with articles 12 & 13 of the CRCICA Rules).
  • requests not to proceed provided for in article 6 of the CRCICA Rules
  • Objection to arbitrators’ appointments (in accordance with article 8(5) of the CRCICA Rules);
  • the reduction or increase of the arbitrators’ fees; and
  • depriving a party of its right to appoint an arbitrator.

The day-to-day work and activities of CRCICA

The day to day activities of CRCICA are entrusted with the CRCICA Team composed of the Director, the Deputy Director, Legal Advisers, Counsels and the following CRCICA departments:

  • the Dispute Management Department;
  • the Conferences, Training and External Relations Department;
  • the Financial Department;
  • the Human Resources and Administrative Department and
  • the Communications and Information Technology Department.