2024 CPR Guidelines for Arbitrator Disclosure

In August 2024, the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution (CPR) released its Guidelines for Arbitrator Disclosure (the “CPR Guidelines”). Developed in consultation with a diverse working group of experienced arbitrators, counsel, and academics, the Guidelines aim to provide practical, principled guidance to arbitrators in navigating disclosure obligations. While not a code of ethics or a binding standard, the CPR Guidelines are designed to promote transparency, consistency, and confidence in the arbitration process by helping arbitrators identify and disclose circumstances that could give rise to justifiable doubts about their impartiality or independence.

Purpose and Scope


As indicated in their preamble, the CPR Guidelines seek to facilitate the arbitrators’ disclosure process, thereby helping to ensure compliance with the applicable laws, rules and standards. However, unlike the IBA Guidelines on Conflicts of Interest in International Arbitration (the “IBA Guidelines”), they are not intended to determine whether an arbitrator has violated a duty to disclose.

The CPR Guidelines can apply to any arbitration proceedings (domestic or international, commercial or investment), including those conducted under the CPR’s various rules.The CPR Guidelines are applicable to both domestic and international arbitrations, and are intended to complement—rather than replace—existing ethical rules and institutional disclosure requirements.

The Six Guidelines

The CPR Guidelines outline six key principles that arbitrators should consider when evaluating their duty to disclose:

  1. Material Facts: Arbitrators should disclose any facts or circumstances that could reasonably be seen as material to assessing their impartiality or independence.
  2. Forward-Looking Approach: Disclosure should consider not just past and present relationships, but also potential future circumstances that parties might view as relevant.
  3. Context Matters: The arbitrator must assess the relevance of a fact in context—including the size, recency, and nature of a relationship or interest.
  4. Consistent Standards: Arbitrators should apply consistent standards when evaluating similar situations across different cases.
  5. Prompt Updates: Arbitrators must update disclosures if new, material facts emerge during the course of the arbitration.
  6. Clarity and Completeness: Disclosures should be clear, complete, and provide enough context to allow parties to make informed decisions about potential objections.

CPR Guidelines vs IBA Guidelines

The CPR Guidelines are distinct from the IBA Guidelines on Conflicts of Interest in International Arbitration (“IBA Guidelines”) in both tone and purpose. While the IBA Guidelines provide a color-coded framework (Green, Orange, Red Lists) for categorizing conflict scenarios, the CPR Guidelines are principle-based and focus on the process and reasoning behind disclosure.

Where the IBA Guidelines emphasize uniformity and predictability, the CPR Guidelines seek to empower arbitrators with a structured but flexible approach that accounts for context and nuance. Importantly, the CPR Guidelines do not attempt to define what constitutes a disqualifying conflict; rather, they are meant to support proactive, thoughtful disclosure practices that enhance party trust and procedural fairness.

Together, the CPR and IBA Guidelines offer complementary tools for arbitrators and practitioners committed to promoting integrity and transparency in arbitral proceedings.