The Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC)

The Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) has developed into one of the world’s leading forums for dispute resolution.

The SCC was established in 1917 and is part of, but independent from, the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce.The SCC consists of a Board and a Secretariat and provides efficient dispute resolution services for both Swedish and international parties.

The SCC was recognized in the 1970's by the United States and the Soviet Union as a neutral centre for the resolution of East West trade disputes. Also China recognized the SCC as a forum for resolving international disputes around the same time. The SCC has since expanded its services in international commercial arbitration and emerged as one of the most important and frequently used arbitration institutions worldwide.

In recent years the number of cases filed with the SCC – both domestic and international – has increased considerably. The high number of international cases - nearly 50% - clearly evidence the strong position of the SCC as a preferred venue for dispute resolution among the international business community. Every year parties from as many as 30-40 countries use the services of the SCC.

Sweden and the SCC also play a unique role in the international system developed for bilateral and multilateral investment protection worldwide. In at least 120 of the current bilateral investment treaties (BITs) Sweden or the SCC is cited as the forum for resolving disputes between investors and the state. Today, the SCC is the world’s second largest institution for investment disputes.

The Secretariat

The SCC Secretariat handles the daily case management, organization of events, producing publications etc.

A Secretary General heads the SCC Secretariat, which has a multilingual staff of nine people. The cases are administered in English, Swedish, Russian, Spanish or German allotted to one of three divisions, each consisting of a legal counsel and a case administrator. Any other agreed language may of course be used in the arbitral proceedings before the tribunal, once it has been constituted.

The Secretariat’s office is located in the centre of Stockholm on Brunnsgatan

The Board

The SCC Board is composed of one chairperson, two or three vice chairpersons and a maximum of 12 additional members. The Board includes both Swedish and non-Swedish nationals, all of whom are distinguished and highly qualified experts in international commercial dispute resolution.

The function of the SCC Board is to make decisions as required under the SCC Rules. This includes decisions regarding prima facie jurisdiction, appointment of arbitrators, challenge to arbitrators and the costs of the arbitration.

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