The New York Convention was established as a result of dissatisfaction with the Geneva Protocol on Arbitration Clauses of 1923 and the Geneva Convention on the Execution of Foreign Arbitral Awards of 1927. The initiative to replace the Geneva treaties came from the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), which issued a preliminary draft convention in 1953. The ICC's initiative was taken over by the United Nations Economic and Social Council ("ECOSOC"), which produced an amended draft convention in 1955. That draft was discussed during a conference at the United Nations Headquarters in May-June 1958, which led to the establishment of the New York Convention. Documents showing the history of these developments can be found below.
date | link to file (PDF) |
1923 | Geneva Protocol on Arbitration Clauses E/AC.42/2 - Protocol on Arbitration Clauses, Geneva, 24 September 1923 |
1927 |
Geneva Convention on the Execution of Foreign Arbitral Awards
1927 - Geneva Convention on the Execution of Foreign Arbitral Awards |
1953 |
ICC, Preliminary Draft Convention
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6 Apr 1954 |
ECOSOC establishes the Committee on the Enforcement of International Arbitral Awards
Resolution 520(VII) - Resolution of the Economic and Social Council establishing the Committee |
1954/1955 | ICC, Statement explaining the difference between the 1927 Geneva Convention and the ICC Draft Convention, and giving a bibliography on the subject |
21 Jan 1955 |
Comments received from governments regarding the Draft Convention on the Enforcement of International Arbitral Awards
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1-15 Mar 1955 |
Committee meetings in New York |
18 Mar 1955 |
Report of the Committee, recommending a Draft Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards
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20 May 1955 |
ECOSOC request ECOSOC requests the Secretary-General to ascertain from the governments whether they consider it desirable to convene a conference to conclude a Convention on the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards, and whether they are prepared to participate in such a conference |
31 Jan 1956 | E/2822 - Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards
E/2822/Corr.1 - Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards |
3 May 1956 |
Conference ECOSOC decides to convene a conference at its 923rd plenary meeting |
Jan-July 1956 | Further comments received from governments on the ECOSOC draft convention |
E/CONF.26/1 |
Provisional Agenda |
E/CONF.26/2 |
Comments on the draft Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards |
E/CONF.26/3 |
Comments by governments on the draft Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards |
E/CONF.26/3/Add.1 |
Comments by governments on the draft Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards |
E/CONF.26/4 |
Activities of inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations in the field of International Commercial Arbitration: Consolidated Report by the Secretary-General |
E/CONF.26/5/Rev.1 |
Rules of Procedure adopted by the Conference at its second plenary meeting on 21 May 1958 |
E/CONF.26/6 |
Consideration of other measures for increasing the effectiveness of arbitration in the settlement of private law disputes |
E/CONF.26/7 |
Poland: amendments to the title of the Convention and Articles 1, 3, 7, 8 10 |
E/CONF.26/8 |
Text of the Convention as as provisionally approved by the Drafting Committee on 9 June 1958 |
E/CONF.26/8/Rev.1 |
"Final Act" |