PERMANENT COURT OF ARBITRATION AND THE UNCITRAL ARBITRATION RULES, THE

The Permanent Court of Arbitration, established by an international convention in 1899, is the oldest treaty-based forum for international dispute settlement in the world. Although the PCA has experienced significant fluctuations in activity over its 109 years lifetime, it is currently involved in more arbitrations than ever before.
This paper will discuss the beginnings of the PCA, and some of the most determinative events that have shaped its history and continue to guide its work today. It will focus particularly on the role of the Secretary-General under the UNCITRAL Rules over the past thirty years, as well as consider how that role may develop in light of the current revision of the Rules.