Madrid, 02/14/2025.- The Madrid International Arbitration Center – Ibero-American Arbitration Center (CIAM-CIAR), after five years of activity, has managed a total of 53 cases for an aggregate amount in dispute of €280,000,000, which represents an exponential growth in its activity.
The number of arbitrations managed each year by CIAM-CIAR has been increasing from 2020, when 2 cases were managed, to the 18 proceedings registered in 2024. The aggregate amount in dispute of these 18 cases is almost €128 million. Since the creation of the Center, the average amount in dispute of the cases has resulted in more than €7 million.
In the words of José María Alonso, President of CIAM-CIAR, “We are a solid institution with first class Rules, incorporating best practices, and with important sectorial connections and access to a pool of specialized arbitrators, thanks, among other reasons, to its Working Groups. CIAM-CIAR is also comparatively less expensive than other leading international arbitral institutions”.
With regard to the 2024 data, it is significant that more and more companies are designating CIAM-CIAR as the institution in charge of settling their international disputes. The cases administered by CIAM-CIAR come either from referrals by the Center’s founding courts – the Spanish Court of Arbitration (CEA), the Madrid Court of Arbitration (CAM) and the Civil and Commercial Court of Arbitration (CIMA) – or from contracts signed after the creation of the Center specifying that CIAM-CIAR will be in charge of settling their disputes.
Last year, half of the cases came from the CIAM-CIAR clause incorporated by the companies in their contracts, compared to an average of 30% in previous years. The remainder of the arbitrations came from referrals by the Center’s founding courts.
The average duration of cases administered by the Center has also evolved positively, and in the case of the abbreviated mode is now under one year (11 months), which demonstrates the agility of CIAM-CIAR in the management of procedures.
Analyzing the data by sector of activity, in 2024 the corporate sector accounted for the largest number of cases (33%), followed by goods and pharmaceuticals and energy (both with 17%). Among the other sectors in which there have been cases are technology, construction, hotels and catering, sports and representation.
As for the language used, more than half of the proceedings were settled in Spanish, 56%, while the remaining 44% were settled in English.
Arbitrators: appointment, nationality and gender
Furthermore, 46% of the arbitrators were appointed by agreement of the parties and 31% by direct appointment by the Center.
It is worth noting that in 2024 the number of arbitrators from the Latin American region increased to 36%, compared to 29% in 2023. There has also been an increase among Spanish arbitrators, from 24% in 2023 to 36% in 2024. Including those of Portuguese nationality, 79% of the arbitrators who have handled CIAM-CIAR cases are Ibero-American.
Thirty-one percent of the total number of arbitrators who have managed CIAM-CIAR cases are female. This percentage rises to 75% when the Center has appointed the arbitrators, demonstrating its commitment to advancing gender equality in arbitration proceedings.
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