Dear Reader:
This Diversity Issue represents ARIA’s ongoing commitment to highlighting minority voices in arbitration. It is ARIA’s second Diversity Issue, following Volume 30 Issue No.4, and part of a Diversity Series ARIA hopes to continue. In this issue, the authors discuss diversity and inclusion in arbitration from different angles. Benjamin G. Davis gives a thought-provoking speech to call for more participation from diverse practitioners, drawing on his own experience; Kabir Duggal and Amanda Lee discuss the different dimensions of diversity and inclusion; Caià Lopes Caramori, Carolina Allodi Matos de Andrade, Luisa Natal Saboya Salles, and Milena Cardoso Silva provide a Brazilian perspective; and Devorah Spigelman brings in an impressive example: Jay-Z’s difficulty in finding a suitable African American arbitrator. Although there have been increased efforts to boost diversity in arbitration, there is still much to be done. While the appointments of women arbitrators continue to rise, they still constitute significantly less than half of arbitration panels. Geographic diversity also remains a major issue, as European arbitrators are appointed most frequently. The proportion of women arbitrators from Asian and African countries still remains significantly lower than those from Europe and America. Columbia Law School has been at the forefront of promoting diversity in the arbitration field. ARIA has signed the Equal Representation in Arbitration Pledge and been a proud supporter of Racial Equality for Arbitration Lawyers. ARIA also has for a long time welcomed the participation of an editorial board that is diverse in terms of culture, race, and geographic origin and continues to foster a tradition of female leadership. ARIA aims to expand the horizons of international arbitration scholarship as it seeks to reflect the greater global community in addition to remaining true to its long-held standard of academic and professional excellence.
The ARIA Editorial Board