HKIAC and PCA sign cooperation agreement

The Hong Kong International Arbitration Center (HKIAC) and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at the Hague entered into a cooperation agreement on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of HKIAC. The terms of this agreement are not yet known. 

Previously, PCA had entered into a cooperation agreement with China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission (CIETAC)  to facilitate cooperation in organizing conferences, lectures, and seminars on arbitration and other means of dispute resolution.

Hong Kong passes new Arbitration Ordinance

Hong Kong has passed a new Arbitration Ordinance which is available here. 

Among other things, the new Ordinance is expected to facilitate hybrid dispute resolution mechanisms through Sections 32 and 33 which (i) precludes challenges to a person acting as an arbitrator on the ground that (s)he has acted as a mediator in te same dispute and (ii) allows the arbitrator, after the commencement of the arbitration, to act as a conciliator if all parties to the proceedings consent to the same in writing. It is also interesting that statutory functions like appointment of arbitrators, upon the failure of parties to do so, which are generally functions vested in courts in most Common Law jurisdictions, have been vested to the Hong Kong International Arbitration Center.