Astana Hosted Leading Global Experts for IAC Eurasia Arbitration Week 2026
Astana became the focal point for discussions on international dispute resolution this summer as the world’s leading international arbitration experts and legal professionals gathered for the fourth annual IAC Eurasia Arbitration Week 2026 from 30 June to 3 July 2026. The event was
organised by the AIFC IAC, which was nominated for the prestigious Global Arbitration Review (GAR) Awards – one of the leading global distinctions in the field of international arbitration – reflecting its established reputation among the world’s leading international dispute resolution institutions.
IAC EAW26 brough together over 600 delegates and 65 speakers, including leading policymakers, judges, arbitrators, academics, in-house counsel, private practice lawyers, and dispute resolution professionals from more than 30 jurisdictions across Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa and North America. The event provided a platform for examining the legal and commercial challenges
shaping international arbitration and alternative dispute resolution practices. This event highlighted the IAC’s and Kazakhstan’s growing role as regional centres for international business and dispute resolution, bringing global expertise to Astana and supporting efforts to create a transparent, predictable, and investor-friendly legal environment.
This year, the four-days IAC EAW26 programme addressed the most pressing issues facing the global arbitration community, including the impact of artificial intelligence on arbitration, enforcement of arbitral awards, investor protection, cross-border dispute resolution, evolving user expectations, and the future of arbitration education and practice.
A highlight of IAC EAW26 was the participation of Mr. Gary Born, Partner at King & Spalding and one of the world’s foremost authorities on international arbitration. Mr. Born has acted as counsel in some of the most significant international commercial and investor-State disputes and is widely regarded as one of the leading global figures in the development of modern international
arbitration.
The IAC EAW26 programme also featured Professor Loukas Mistelis, Professor of Transnational Commercial Law and Arbitration at Queen Mary University of London, an internationally recognised arbitrator, and one of the leading scholars in the field of international dispute resolution. Professor Mistelis is known globally for his contributions to arbitration research and practice, including his leadership of the influential Queen Mary International Arbitration Survey, widely regarded as one of the most authoritative studies of trends and user perspectives in international arbitration.
On 30 June, a dedicated IAC EAW26 Training Day, organised in collaboration with the Turkic Arbitration Association, provided participants with practical guidance on the work of arbitrators through a dedicated training programme “The Arbitrator’s Toolkit: From Appointment to Final Award”. The programme focused on tribunal management, evidentiary issues, drafting enforceable
awards, and other practical aspects of arbitral practice.
The main conference programme of IAC EAW26 took place during 1–2 July 2026 at the IAC premises in Astana.
On July 3, IAC EAW26 concluded with the “Young Lawyers’ Day: Arbitration Leaders of Tomorrow”, organised in collaboration with the U.S Department of Commerce Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP). It brought together leading academics and professors from Harvard University, Columbia University and the University of California Law School, law students, and early-career practitioners to explore emerging trends in dispute resolution and career
pathways into international legal practice.
organised by the AIFC IAC, which was nominated for the prestigious Global Arbitration Review (GAR) Awards – one of the leading global distinctions in the field of international arbitration – reflecting its established reputation among the world’s leading international dispute resolution institutions.
IAC EAW26 brough together over 600 delegates and 65 speakers, including leading policymakers, judges, arbitrators, academics, in-house counsel, private practice lawyers, and dispute resolution professionals from more than 30 jurisdictions across Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa and North America. The event provided a platform for examining the legal and commercial challenges
shaping international arbitration and alternative dispute resolution practices. This event highlighted the IAC’s and Kazakhstan’s growing role as regional centres for international business and dispute resolution, bringing global expertise to Astana and supporting efforts to create a transparent, predictable, and investor-friendly legal environment.
This year, the four-days IAC EAW26 programme addressed the most pressing issues facing the global arbitration community, including the impact of artificial intelligence on arbitration, enforcement of arbitral awards, investor protection, cross-border dispute resolution, evolving user expectations, and the future of arbitration education and practice.
A highlight of IAC EAW26 was the participation of Mr. Gary Born, Partner at King & Spalding and one of the world’s foremost authorities on international arbitration. Mr. Born has acted as counsel in some of the most significant international commercial and investor-State disputes and is widely regarded as one of the leading global figures in the development of modern international
arbitration.
The IAC EAW26 programme also featured Professor Loukas Mistelis, Professor of Transnational Commercial Law and Arbitration at Queen Mary University of London, an internationally recognised arbitrator, and one of the leading scholars in the field of international dispute resolution. Professor Mistelis is known globally for his contributions to arbitration research and practice, including his leadership of the influential Queen Mary International Arbitration Survey, widely regarded as one of the most authoritative studies of trends and user perspectives in international arbitration.
On 30 June, a dedicated IAC EAW26 Training Day, organised in collaboration with the Turkic Arbitration Association, provided participants with practical guidance on the work of arbitrators through a dedicated training programme “The Arbitrator’s Toolkit: From Appointment to Final Award”. The programme focused on tribunal management, evidentiary issues, drafting enforceable
awards, and other practical aspects of arbitral practice.
The main conference programme of IAC EAW26 took place during 1–2 July 2026 at the IAC premises in Astana.
On July 3, IAC EAW26 concluded with the “Young Lawyers’ Day: Arbitration Leaders of Tomorrow”, organised in collaboration with the U.S Department of Commerce Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP). It brought together leading academics and professors from Harvard University, Columbia University and the University of California Law School, law students, and early-career practitioners to explore emerging trends in dispute resolution and career
pathways into international legal practice.