UN adopts Bahrain-backed digital arbitration reforms

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A proposal put forward by Bahrain has helped shape new United Nations recommendations that will make it easier to recognise and enforce electronic arbitration awards around the world.

The recommendations, unanimously adopted this week by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) during its 59th commission session in New York, amend the UN Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration to recognise arbitration awards and related notices issued in electronic form.

The changes stem from an initial proposal submitted by the Council for International Dispute Resolution of the Kingdom of Bahrain in late 2024, followed by a joint proposal with Switzerland and Mexico in 2025.

The new reforms are intended to provide greater legal certainty for businesses and governments using international arbitration in an increasingly digital environment, regardless of whether awards and notices are issued electronically or on paper.

They also strengthen the implementation of the New York Convention by ensuring its protections remain effective as cross-border commercial disputes increasingly move to digital platforms.