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TN/INT/04
Edition 2027 · effective 1 January 2027

Data story

Disputes are larger than ever. Users want more than one way to resolve them.

International commerce runs on enforceable outcomes and trusted Neutrals.

§ 01Caseload

A record year for international disputes.

US$102bn

Record value of new ICC cases in 2024: 841 cases, 2,392 parties from 136 jurisdictions.

ICC Dispute Resolution Statistics 2024, via Global Legal Post · 2024 ↗
48%

Users who prefer international arbitration combined with mediation or other ADR for cross-border disputes (2,402 respondents).

Queen Mary University of London & White & Case, 2025 International Arbitration Survey · 2025 ↗
60–70%

Commercial mediations that settle on the day, with a further ~20% settling in the following weeks.

CEDR, Mediation success rate · 2024 ↗

§ 02Preference

How users want cross-border disputes resolved.

Preferred method for cross-border disputes, 2025 (2,402 respondents)

International arbitration combined with ADR48%
Standalone international arbitration39%
QMUL & White & Case, 2025 International Arbitration Survey ↗

§ 03Enforcement

The conventions that make outcomes travel.

172

Contracting states to the New York Convention on foreign arbitral awards (1958).

New York Convention Guide · 2023 ↗
24

States party to the Singapore Convention on Mediation (60 signatories), in force since 12 September 2020.

UNCITRAL status table · 2026 ↗
70%

Global Pound Conference delegates who named external lawyers as the main obstacle to change in commercial dispute resolution (4,000+ stakeholders, 24 countries).

Global Pound Conference series report, via Herbert Smith Freehills · 2018 ↗

§ 04Read with care

Scale of the problem, not proof of a solution.

These figures describe the scale of conflict, distrust or unmet justice need. They are not evidence of the effect of Neutral Evaluation, or of TheNeutralsORG™. Outcome evidence will come from studies of actual neutral interventions, which the Research programme will publish with population, method and limits. See Sources & method.