The International and Ibero-American Arbitration Centre of Madrid and the Costa Rican Bar Association have signed an institutional cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening international arbitration in the Ibero-American space and deepening collaboration between both institutions.
The signing of the agreement represents a new step in CIIAM’s international strategy to consolidate a stable cooperation network with legal and arbitral institutions in Latin America, thus reinforcing its regional vocation and its commitment to promoting international arbitration in Spanish.
The agreement will strengthen the CIIAM’s institutional presence in Costa Rica through the facilities of the Costa Rican Bar Association and by providing specialized personnel to support the development of arbitration initiatives, institutional outreach activities, and joint projects in the region. Furthermore, both institutions will promote the holding of international arbitration hearings in Costa Rica, reinforcing the country’s regional standing in the field of international arbitration. This collaboration will further strengthen ties between the various Ibero-American legal communities.
The relationship between the CIIAM and Costa Rica has historical roots in the Ibero-American arbitration project promoted by the Ibero-American Arbitration Center (CIAR), of which the Costa Rican Bar Association was an active participant and in which Costa Rica played a particularly important role as a meeting point for Ibero-American arbitration. This new agreement allows for the continuation and strengthening of that shared trajectory within the CIIAM’s institutional project.
The agreement will also contribute to strengthening domestic arbitration in Costa Rica through the exchange of knowledge, regulations, and best practices inspired by international standards of arbitral administration. In this context, the Costa Rican Bar Association, through its Arbitration and Mediation Center, has been promoting important initiatives for the development of arbitration in the country, including its collaboration with the Costa Rican Chamber of Construction.
Adolfo Díaz-Ambrona, president of the Madrid Association for International Arbitration, the driving force behind the CIIAM, emphasized that “the Costa Rican Bar Association is a natural partner for the CIIAM due to its track record, its institutional quality, and the extraordinary work it has been doing in support of arbitration and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. This agreement will allow us to continue strengthening Ibero-American arbitration through cooperation, knowledge exchange, and the highest international standards.”
For his part, José María Alonso, president of the CIIAM, said that “Costa Rica has always been a key country in building the Ibero-American arbitration space, and the Costa Rican Bar Association has historically demonstrated a firm commitment to the development and modernization of arbitration in the region. For the CIIAM, it is a great satisfaction to continue deepening this relationship with a leading institution, with great prestige and a clear international focus.”
In the case of Miguel Arias Maduro, president of the Costa Rican Bar Association, he stated, “We are pleased to sign this agreement with the CIIAM, an institution that has established itself as a leader in international arbitration in Ibero-America and plays a fundamental role in strengthening the international legal community. This alliance represents a valuable opportunity to strengthen cooperation between our institutions, promote the exchange of knowledge, and contribute to the development of increasingly robust, modern, and international arbitration. For the Costa Rican Bar Association, this agreement reaffirms our commitment to legal excellence and to positioning Costa Rica as a key player in international arbitration.”
And finally, María Laura Carbonell Salusso, director of the Arbitration and Mediation Center (CAM), stated that “the alliance is part of the CIIAM’s strategy of expansion and institutional cooperation in Ibero-America, aimed at strengthening independent, specialized, efficient international arbitration that is increasingly connected with the reality and legal talent of the region.”
The agreement lays the foundation for sustained collaboration aimed at strengthening arbitration in Latin America.
