Message from the Secretary General

Distinguished members of ICDPASO , dear friends, 

It is a great pleasure for all of us to celebrate the first anniversary of ICDPASO. First of all, on behalf of the Secretariat, and in my own name, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all of you for your strong support to ICDPASO. This year is a truly remarkable one for ICDPASO. A grand Inauguration Ceremony was held on October 15, 2020, and soon after that, with the support and help of all members, the Secretariat has worked all out to have laid a solid foundation for the vigorous development of ICDPASO. At present, an independent office has been set up for the Secretariat, regulations and rules are formulated and implemented, and Chinese staffs with excellent comprehensive qualities are all in place. Staffs recommended by each ICDPASO members have been participating in liaison work on line. In the future, we will be happy to welcome staffs from all over the world to work under the same roof with us.

This year, we have completed the drafting of International Commercial Mediation Rules, International Commercial Arbitration Rules, and Investor-State Arbitration Rules of ICDPASO, and conducted multiple rounds of expert discussions and members’ opinions consultation.

This year, ICDPASO has organized quite a few high-end international forums. We held the 2nd Belt and Road Commercial Law (The Yellow River) Forum in Gansu Province of China, the 2021 Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei International Commercial Law Forum in Hebei Province of China, the 1st Legal Forum on Cross-border

Trade in Services in Beijing, China, the 3rd China Northeast Asia Expo Legal Forum in Jilin province of China. And the Law Forum on Global Central Legal Services District Construction and Doing Business Environment Optimization under the 4th China International Import Expo will be held on Nov. 6-7 in Shanghai.

This year, we have provided legal consultations to various commercial entities and resolved over 200 cross-border trade disputes through consultation. We have handled cases from more than 20 countries and regions including the United States, Russia, India and so on. In this process, we have gained strong support, recommendations and trust from the ICDPASO members, and many embassies and consulates in China.

This year, 5 new members including the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Union of African Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Agriculture & Professions (UACCIAP), and Federation of Egyptian Chambers of Commerce (FEDCOC), EU-China Joint Innovation Center (EUCJIC) and China Association of Trade in Services (CATIS) joined ICDPASO approved by the Council. There are also many organizations that are going through the application process. We look forward to gathering more support from all over the world to move forward hand in hand and shape the future together.

This year, we have maintained close contact with ICDPASO members. Honorary Chair ZHANG Yuejiao, Chairman YU Jianlong, Vice Chairman Derek Vaughan and myself have attended various events organized by our members. Activities organized by ICDPASO also received great support and extensive participation from our members. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to your efforts.

One year on, our world is facing the combined impacts of changes unseen in a century and the COVID-19 pandemic. There is still a long way to go to achieve common development. Standing in the new beginning, we will continue to work together with our members to build ICDPASO better, promote the concept of win-win cooperation, strive to achieve high standards and sustainable development goals, and contribute our strength and wisdom to build a community with a shared future for mankind.

 ——We will expand our friends circle of ICDPASO in the international community, further improve our international influence, and recruit more influential institutions as new members of ICDPASO.

——We will successively publish ICDPASO International Commercial Mediation Rules, International Commercial Arbitration Rules and Investor-State Arbitration Rules. All rules will be both with the characteristics of ICDPASO and universal applicability to better meet the needs of parties and jointly promote the healthy development of international commercial legal services. 

——We will play the important role of ICDPASO Supervisory Committee and Advisory Committee to open up new business horizons and fill research gaps. With the pandemic prevention and control permit, we will hold international forums not only in China but around the world. We will build international and professional forum brands, and cultivate more tailored activities.

——We will strengthen cooperation with international organizations such as United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), etc., in global pandemic prevention, rule-making, and cross-border commercial legal services.

As an old saying goes: a good start is half the battle. On the basis of good operations and solid foundation in the first year, I believe that with the concerted efforts from our members, ICDPASO will surely move forward steadily and drive towards a better future!

Thank you all!

Dr. LIU Chao

Secretary General

International Commercial Dispute Prevention and Settlement Organization

(ICDPASO)