Guest Introduction: In the second session of International Arbitration Observatory, we are pleased to invite Athita Komindr, director of the UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific (UNCITRAL RCAP), to explain the arbitration rules system of UNCITRAL, as well as Marianela Bruno Pollero, legal officer at the International Trade Law Division of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, who will share insights into UNCITRAL transparency rules.

Athita Komindr

Athita is head of the UNCITRAL Regional Center for Asia and the Pacific (UNCITRAL RCAP), managing technical assistance and capacity building programming available to over 50 states in Asia and the Pacific in key areas of commercial law, including dispute resolution, MSMEs, international contract practices, sale of goods, electronic commerce, transport, insolvency, international payments, secured transactions, and procurement. In that capacity, she coordinates with governments and international and regional organizations with respect to trade law reform activities aimed at achieving the sustainable development goals. 

Athita has two decades of experience in the fields of international trade and economic law, arbitration, multilateral dispute resolution, and the rule of law and development. Prior to joining the United Nations, Athita worked with numerous Thai agencies, including the Thailand Institute of Justice, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Thailand Arbitration Center where she managed the Arbitration and Legal Affairs Divisions, and the Ministry of Commerce in Bangkok (2002-2005) and Geneva (2005-2010), representing Thailand in bilateral, regional, and multilateral trade negotiations, WTO dispute settlement, and treaty drafting. 

Admitted to the New York Bar since 2002, Athita has experience in both common and civil law traditions in the public and private sectors, and holds degrees from Harvard College, Georgetown University Law Center, and Harvard Law School.

Marianela Bruno Pollero

Marianela Bruno Pollero is legal officer at the International Trade Law Division of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations Secretariat, which provides the secretariat for the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). Previously Bruno Pollero had collaborated with the implementation of technical activities at the International Investment Agreements Section within the Investment and Enterprise Division, UNCTAD. Before joining UNCITRAL secretariat she served as legal counsel at the Embassy of Uruguay to the United States in Washington D.C.Bruno Pollero earned a degree in Law and Social Sciences and in International Relations at the University of Uruguay (UDELAR) and a master in International Law (LL.M) at the George Washington University, School of Law, United States.