Panel Discussion: Dispute Resolution in the Digital Economy (DRDE)
UNCITRAL’s project on the stocktaking of developments in dispute resolution in the digital economy (DRDE) was launched in 2021, conferring on the secretariat the mandate to monitor the changing landscape of dispute resolution in the digital economy by compiling, analysing and sharing relevant information with a view to laying the groundwork for updating existing UNCITRAL texts or developing new ones. The project gives particular attention to the disruptive aspects of digitalization in dispute resolution, in particular those with respect to due process and fairness, but also focuses on the enabling aspects of technology as far as its impact on cost and duration of procedures is concerned. In line with its mandate, the UNCITRAL secretariat is organizing discussions to seek inputs from different parts of the world so as to ensure the comprehensiveness of its work. This panel complements the “World Tour” which has been held to date in Tokyo, New York, Guatemala City, Paris, Vienna and Abidjan.
This panel discussion was part of the UNCITRAL Academy Conference during the Singapore Convention Week, themed “Tomorrow’s World Today: Leading the Future of Dispute Resolution”, seeking to spotlight new and pressing issues in dispute resolution. The rise of the digital economy is changing the nature and manner of dispute resolution. The DRDE Panel Discussion explored legal issues on electronic arbitral awards, use of artificial intelligence in arbitration and digital evidence. The panellists shared their insights in terms of the impact of digital technologies and technology-enabled services on dispute resolution and the essential role that UNCITRAL could play by developing new norms.