The Concept

The Co-Chairs of many of the under-40 arbitration groups world-wide meet once a year in an annual retreat that is dedicated to their exchange and to the coordination of joint events. The retreat is also an opportunity to socialize among those that take an active part in shaping the young generation network of international arbitration.

The organization and responsibility for the annual retreat rotates among the groups. The first retreat was organized in 2009 by DIS40. The Spanish CEA40 was in charge of the retreat in 2010. In 2011, the Co-Chairs’ Circle retreat was hosted by ARBIT and took place in Rome, Italy. YAAP hosted the 2012 retreat that and took place in Vienna, Austria. In 2013, the retreat was hosted by APA sub40 and took place in Lisbon, Portugal. NAI Jong Oranje was in charge of the retreat in 2014 which took place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. In 2015, ASA Below40 hosted the retreat in the Villars, Switzerland. In 2016, the retreat was hosted by YACF in Helsinki,
Finland. In 2017, it was hosted by CFA40, ICC YAF, and PVYAP in Paris, France. In 2018, ARBIT hosted the retreat in Rome, Italy. In 2019, the retreat was hosted by YAAP in Vienna, Austria. The 2023 retreat took place in Belgrade, Serbia and was hosted by SAA Under 40.

The first Global Conference of the Co-Chairs’ Circle on “Cultural Differences in International Arbitration” was hosted by DIS40 and took place in Berlin, Germany on 19 and 20 September 2014. The second Global Conference of the Co-Chairs’ Circle on “Controversy in International Arbitration” was hosted by YACF and took place in Helsinki, Finland on 27 and 28 May 2016. The third global conference took place on 18 and 19 May 2018 in Rome, Italy and was hosted by ARBIT. The fourth global conference on “Legitimacy in and of Arbitration” took place in Brussels, Belgium and was hosted by CEPANI40 on 2–4 June 2022. The fifth global conference under the title “The Future of International Arbitration” will take place in Frankfurt (Main), Germany on 16–18 May 2024 and will be hosted by DIS40.