Saudi Arabia concludes its participation in the 77th session of UNCITRAL at the United Nations

Saudi Arabia concludes its participation in the 77th session of UNCITRAL at the United Nations

Published Date: 13/02/2023

 

Saudi Arabia participated in the 77th session of UNCITRAL Working Group II: Dispute Settlement, which wrapped up after five days of work at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

 

Saudi Arabia participated in the session through the second subgroup of the Permanent Coordination Committee that organizes Saudi participation in the UNCITRAL working groups. The committee is led the National Competitiveness Center (NCC). The second subgroup includes the Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration (SCCA) as a supervisory body, and the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monsha’at) as supporting bodies.

 

During the 77th session, held on February 6–10, the Saudi delegation discussed a number of additional observations with the members of Working Group II around early refusal and preliminary determination, as well as revised draft model clauses provisions for technology-related dispute resolution and adjudication, which aim to provide a legal framework to resolve disputes quickly and effectively with an outcome that is enforceable across borders.

 

On the sidelines of the session, NCC, in cooperation with SCCA, held a workshop and a panel discussion on “Saudi competitiveness amid legislative and judicial reforms.” Their goal was to raise awareness among the delegations participating in the session, law firms, interested parties, and the business sector about the legislative and regulatory environment in Saudi Arabia, which offers alternative dispute resolution mechanisms that are consistent with international best practices.

 

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia became a member after it was nominated among the Asia-Pacific countries in the elections held during the General Assembly meeting in March 2022. Since the beginning of its work within UNCITRAL, it has played an active role in addressing and removing the legislative obstacles and challenges facing the international commercial environment.

 

Saudi Arabia was the fourth country to ratify the 2018 Singapore Mediation Convention. It has also signed the 1958 New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, and it acceded in 1980 to the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States.