Council for International Dispute Resolution of Kingdom of Bahrain shapes new UN International Trade Law Recommendations

The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) has agreed on new recommendations amending the United Nations Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration to address the enforcement and use of electronic arbitration awards and related notices. These changes will help countries and courts around the world better recognise arbitration decisions and notices issued in electronic form.

‏The move follows an initial text first proposed by the Council of International Dispute Resolution of the Kingdom of Bahrain in late 2024 and an amended joint proposal with Switzerland and Mexico submitted in 2025. The recommendations were unanimously adopted this week by the state delegations present at the UNCITRAL 59th commission session.

‏These amendments are designed to make it easier and safer for businesses and states to rely on arbitration outcomes in the digital age, whether awards and notices are issued on paper or in digital form.

They complement the long-standing United Nations Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (New York Convention), one of the most successful and widely adopted treaties in international commercial law, by helping ensure that its protections remain effective in an increasingly digital environment.