Revisiting the Algowrongs of International Arbitration : The Duty of Neutrality and the Centrality of Consent

Keynote Address to the National Bar Association Virtual International Summit. May 12-14, 2021Forging A Path Forward: Connecting the Diaspora to Attack Global PandemicsCOVID/Police Brutality/Voter Suppression/Structural Impediments to DevelopmentWhen I was contacted by President C.K. Hoffler to do this keynote last Wednesday, before she had started I said yes to the boss-woman. We have known each other since she was 6 years old as students together at College du Leman near Geneva, Switzerland. I have been overjoyed to watch her rise on her path.I was so pleased to listen to her bilingual French and English welcome for this summit as to those who spoke one of those languages they were made to think of what was said in the other language and for those like me who speak both, we were able to hear the beauty of her words in her voice done with perfection in both languages. As a person who lived in Paris for 17 years and had my accent raise curiosity when I first got there, I did hear only slightly the Geneva accent that our French shares!Thank you C.K.I have seen that over these days the NBA has addressed and tried to tackle the difficult issues that confront us in a seamless manner that goes from domestic to international and back again while looking to the future. In this keynote, I will attempt to hopefully assist this important effort at dialogue to help humanity progress.Let me start by saying that while I am appalled by the lack of diversity in the international arbitration game, I have no interest in being an arbitrator, a counsel, an expert, an amicus, a part of some effort to draft something, a shareholder in an international arbitration data research firm, an association with any investment or hedge fund group that is investing in international arbitration including, but not limited to, third party funders, any advisory board or leadership position of any international arbitration non-profit, and on and on. If there is something I missed, please note that I am not interested in that. For in academia until my retirement and afterward I enjoy talking about the field.I will not have enough time in these fifteen minutes to go over all the matters which I would like to discuss, but a copy of this will be posted at ssrn.com in due course so you can read my thoughts and give me comments at your leisure