Bridging the Divide — Across Borders

The Launch and Growth of the International Centre for Dispute Resolution®

The 1990s carried a renewed sense of hope with the end of the Cold War and the promise of global prosperity — not so different from the postwar era of the 1920s that saw the founding of the American Arbitration Association®.[1] Economies opened, and a new world order began to take shape. That optimism reached a high point in 1995 with the creation of the World Trade Organization, which established dispute resolution systems for member governments.[2]

If global commerce were to become a true language of peace, private companies and organizations conducting cross-border transactions would also need a neutral translator when disputes arose.

In 1996, the AAA® responded to this need — and the era’s wave of globalization — by launching its dedicated international arm: the International Centre for Dispute Resolution® (ICDR®).[3]

“U.S.-based companies were expanding overseas and wanted to bring the benefits of arbitration with them,” recalled Executive Vice President Francesco (Frank) Rossi.[4] But the AAA would have to be very thoughtful about ADR’s international expansion. To ensure the same high-quality services that the AAA provided to parties based in the U.S., it would need to give their contractual counterparts confidence that there wouldn’t be any kind of home-field advantage.[5] “We launched [the] ICDR as a way to step back from the Americanization of arbitration and give our customers [the] opportunity to still benefit from our services while toning down some of the American aspects of it,” said Rossi.[6] 

The mission was clear: Provide world-class ADR services outside U.S. borders with rules, panels, and infrastructure designed for cross-border commerce, culture, and complexity — and remain, above all, neutral.

Small Start, Big Vision

The idea for the ICDR was ambitious, but its beginnings were modest. Its first attorney Luis Martinez, now vice president of the ICDR, recalls working out of a converted utility room — still stocked with cleaning products.[7] Needless to say, the ICDR quickly outgrew the space.

Building on the AAA’s seven decades of domestic ADR expertise, the ICDR added new innovations. It assembled a worldwide roster of arbitrators and mediators fluent in multiple languages and legal systems.[8] It established international rules and procedures — including becoming the first institution to offer emergency interim relief in 2006 — to meet the needs of parties facing urgent cross-border disputes.[9]

A Laboratory for Better

“[The] ICDR became a little bit of an incubator for us in terms of unique ideas,” said Rossi — among them making mediation an opt-out option.[10]

“We always stress when parties hem and haw a little bit, ‘Look, if you reach a settlement, you just hit a home run for your company and your client. You just saved a ton of money,’” explained Martinez.[11] Promoting mediation remains a cornerstone of the ICDR’s mission.[12] 

Over the years, the ICDR’s growth has mirrored the rise of global trade and investment. By offering hearing centers and administrative offices worldwide — including in key hubs like Singapore — the ICDR has made it easier for parties to resolve disputes without navigating unfamiliar or burdensome legal systems.[13] 

Its impact is evident in its reach: The ICDR has established a network of 87 cooperative agreements in 54 different countries.[14] In 2024, it launched its Greater China Committee, following a successful committee launch in Singapore earlier that year, to further expand world-class ADR services in Asia.[15]

A Global Bridge

Today, the ICDR is more than the international face of the AAA. It’s a bridge between legal systems; a catalyst for innovation in ADR; and a facilitator of commerce, diplomacy, and justice worldwide.