Paris Arbitration Week celebrates its 10th anniversary with a keynote reaffirming Paris as a global arbitration hub

Held from 23 to 27 March 2026, this anniversary edition brings together 288 partners, 267 events, and participants from over 120 nationalities, underscoring PAW’s role as a key global forum shaping discussions on the future of dispute resolution.

Government support underscores arbitration’s strategic importance

The opening keynote was delivered by Gérald Darmanin, who reiterated France’s ambition to strengthen its legal infrastructure and reinforce Paris’s attractiveness as a seat of arbitration.

In his address, the Minister described arbitration as “a form of advanced civilisation” that facilitates international commerce while upholding the rule of law. He confirmed ongoing work on a comprehensive French arbitration code, intended to simplify, secure and accelerate arbitral procedures and further enhance the enforceability of awards.

The keynote also marked the first formal institutional partnership between PAW and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, represented by Éléonore Caroit. She highlighted arbitration as a tool of multilateralism and a lever for economic diplomacy, noting its contribution of nearly one billion euros in annual economic impact to France.

This dual backing from both the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs reflects France’s strategy to position legal services and dispute resolution mechanisms as pillars of its international influence.

A decade of growth for a global arbitration platform

Since its creation in 2016, Paris Arbitration Week has evolved from a community-driven initiative into a global institution gathering practitioners, academics, arbitral institutions and businesses.

The 2026 edition illustrates this expansion:

• 288 partners including law firms, arbitral institutions, universities and third-party funders

• Over 40,000 registration requests

• A programme spanning commercial arbitration, investment arbitration, sustainability, technology and diversity

The week is organised alongside founding institutions such as the International Chamber of Commerce, the Association Française d’Arbitrage, Paris Place d’Arbitrage, and the Centre Français d’Arbitrage.

Diversity and inclusion set the tone for the anniversary edition

The opening session, hosted by Yasmin Mohammad, was devoted entirely to diversity and inclusion in arbitration, reflecting one of PAW’s founding pillars.

Over the past decade, the arbitration community has made measurable progress in gender balance and geographic representation, yet challenges remain in ensuring access for practitioners from underrepresented regions. PAW organisers emphasised that diversity is not treated as a compliance exercise but as a structural component of legitimacy in international dispute resolution.

The PAW Fellowship aims to broaden access to the profession

The 2026 edition also highlights the first full deployment of the PAW Fellowship, launched in November 2025 to support emerging arbitration practitioners from Asia and Africa.

The programme provides training sessions before the event, full access to PAW sessions during the week, and post-event mentoring. Each fellow receives a €3,000 grant covering travel and accommodation, with support from several international law firms and legal technology providers.

Arbitration at the centre of economic and geopolitical transformations

Throughout the week, panels and conferences will address the major transformations affecting dispute resolution, including:

• the impact of artificial intelligence on arbitration practice

• disputes related to energy transition and natural resources

• tensions between investment arbitration and national sovereignty

• the role of arbitration in safeguarding the rule of law in a fragmented geopolitical landscape

By bringing together more than 7,000 active participants on its digital platform and thousands more in person, PAW continues to serve as both a marketplace of ideas and a strategic forum for shaping the future of international dispute resolution.

Paris seeks to consolidate its position among leading arbitral seats

In their joint statement, PAW co-presidents Diamana Diawara and Catherine Schroeder described the 10th anniversary as both a celebration and a turning point.

They emphasised that the next decade would be defined by broader access to arbitration, deeper diversity, and continued advocacy for the rule of law.

With sustained governmental support, an expanding international audience and an increasingly diversified programme, Paris Arbitration Week has reinforced its ambition: to position Paris not only as a historic arbitration seat, but as a global centre shaping the evolution of international dispute resolution.

Sophie Stevenard