On 22 May 2026, the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) published its 2026 Arbitration Rules (the “Rules”), which entered into force on 1 June 2026 and apply to arbitrations commenced on or after that date. The Rules are available here. The revisions do not attempt to redesign ICC arbitration from first principles. Rather, they tighten and modernise the existing framework: removing procedural steps that many users regarded as cumbersome, codifying tools that had increasingly been used in practice, and placing greater emphasis on speed, proportionality and early procedural discipline.
The key theme running through the 2026 Rules is front-loading. They place greater emphasis on parties articulating their cases more fully at the outset, engaging earlier on arbitrator conflicts and disclosures, and treating the initial case management conference (“CMC”) as the true procedural anchor of the arbitration. In return, tribunals are given clearer authority to manage cases actively, narrow issues earlier and, where appropriate, dispose summarily of points that plainly do not justify a full hearing.
