Composition of the tribunal

The president is elected for four years by the council. Pr. Henri-Louis Vasseur, a specialist in private international law, holds this office. The nine-member council includes lawyers from five continents, a representative of market operators and a representative of Member States.

The council sets the tribunal's general policy, approves the Rules and scales of fees, appoints the arbitrators on the list and examines challenges. It never deals with a particular case.

The authenticity chamber deals with disputes over attribution of works, appraisals and fakes. The provenance chamber examines title and lawful origin. The restitution chamber deals with claims for the return of cultural property. The contracts chamber settles sale, deposit and warranty disputes.

Each chamber is headed by a vice-president and has a list of arbitrators experienced in its field. The parties remain free to choose an arbitrator outside the list, with the president's agreement.

To appear on the list, an arbitrator must show ten years of experience, in-depth knowledge of international arbitration, command of at least two languages of proceedings, a reputation for integrity and sufficient availability. The application is examined by the council, which may hear the candidate.

Appointments are valid for five years, renewable after evaluation. Initial training and annual seminars are compulsory.

Each arbitrator completes, for each case, a declaration of independence stating past or present links with the parties, counsel and experts. The parties may contest this declaration within fifteen days. The council rules on the challenge.

An arbitrator may not advise a party at OIMAP in the five years before or after being appointed in a case. The rules of ethics are published and draw on the best-known international guidelines.

The council ensures diversity: civil-law and common-law traditions, Islamic law and Asian legal systems, experience of practitioners and academics. This diversity allows cases to be handled in which the parties come from very different systems.

Quantified targets frame parity and geographical representation, and an annual report measures progress. Applications from young arbitrators are encouraged by a mentoring programme.