Form

Appointment of arbitrators for rosters under Free Trade Agreements: call for expressions of interest

Published 4 July 2025

Many of the free trade agreements (FTAs) that the UK has signed include a requirement for the parties to create rosters of individuals who could act as arbitrators for disputes launched through the state-to-state dispute settlement mechanisms within those agreements.  

The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is seeking to appoint suitably qualified individuals to be included in these rosters. This will expand the existing UK list of arbitrators established following an expression of interest (EOI) call in 2020.  

Arbitrators: more about the opportunity 

We are seeking expressions of interest from suitably qualified candidates who would like to be nominated to rosters of arbitrators. Arbitration panels may be constituted from these rosters in accordance with the dispute settlement chapters of FTAs.  

This campaign will identify a pool of suitably qualified individuals from which we will populate the various rosters which will be established for existing and future FTAs. The arbitrator rosters are usually divided into 3 sub-lists, with 2 lists for the preferred arbitrators of each party to the agreement and a third sub-list from which the chair of an arbitration panel would be chosen. The third list is limited to those who are not nationals of any party to the agreement or dispute. Some agreements also include additional sub-lists of subject experts for disputes related to:  

• financial services 
• sustainability 
• labour 

The FTAs usually include requirements for the qualifications of all panellists, for example, requiring specialised knowledge and experience of law and international trade.  

Some agreements have additional qualification requirements for the sector-specific disputes.   

If a dispute were to occur under an agreement, individuals from the roster may be called upon to serve on an ad hoc panel to adjudicate on the dispute. The duration of disputes can vary considerably. However, the responsibilities associated with chosen arbitrators may extend beyond 18 months. 

The rosters we aim to establish 

We are seeking to nominate individuals to serve on both general dispute settlement rosters and specialised rosters for disputes related to any of the following:  

• financial services 
• sustainability 
• labour rights 

Requirements 

Essential experience 

Candidates must demonstrate specialised knowledge of law and international trade with 8 years proven experience in these fields

Candidates must also demonstrate at least one of the following requirements: 

• experience as an adjudicator (judge, tribunal member, panellist, arbitrator, mediator) in disputes arising under international agreements 
• experience as lead counsel in a state-to-state trade dispute under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Settlement Understanding or an FTA 
• experience as an academic either teaching or researching, or both, in the field of international trade law for at least 10 years 
• ether relevant practical trade policy experience on behalf of a sovereign state or under an international agreement  

Desirable experience 

In addition to meeting the essential experience, the panel will also consider experience or skills in the following areas when assessing applications: 

• specialised knowledge of public international law 
• experience as lead counsel in an investor-state dispute under an international investment treaty (or investment chapter) 
• bilingual proficiency in languages covered by UK FTAs with non-English speaking states 
• sector-specific experience in matters covered by the UK FTAs 
• knowledge of devolution and the devolution settlement arrangements

Code of conduct 

All arbitrators and chairpersons will be required to follow a code of conduct. The code of conduct may vary depending on the agreement, but will include the following attributes: 

• objectivity: expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion by personal feelings, prejudices, or interpretations 
• reliability: consistently good in quality or performance 
• integrity: being honest and having strong moral principles 
• impartiality: treating all disputants equally

Diversity 

DBT embraces and values diversity in all forms. We welcome and pride ourselves on the positive impact diversity has on the work we do, and we promote equality of opportunity throughout the organisation. We therefore encourage applications from the widest range of qualified individuals. 

Nationality requirements 

Applicants do not need to be UK nationals. However, to ultimately be appointed as a chairperson, candidates cannot be nationals of any party to the specific agreement or dispute. However, they may still be considered for other agreements, or as other arbitrators within the panels established. 

Eligibility 

To be considered for appointment applicants must be: 

• available for service and be able to make the necessary time commitments, including service on a panel, if called upon to do so 
• willing and able to travel internationally  

Sitting judges are not eligible for appointment. This includes those who are salaried, fee-paid or sitting in retirement. 

Application process 

Applicants must submit the following to dsarbitrators@businessandtrade.gov.uk: 

• a cover letter (1,000 words maximum) 

• a curriculum vitae (CV) (3 single-sided pages maximum) 

• 2 professional reference contacts who must provide written statements on request 

• a completed declaration form 

• a completed diversity information form 

In the covering letter, applicants should set out their reasons for applying and how they meet the essential and desirable experience requirements.

Within the declaration form, applicants must declare if they are currently taking instruction from or affiliated with any government with which the UK has signed or is currently negotiating an FTA.  

Applicants can specify in the application form if they have a preference for a specific UK FTA roster. 

Applicants may provide additional documentation in addition to their CV. However, we do not guarantee that this documentation will be considered.   

Remuneration

If an individual on a roster is appointed to a panel, they shall be remunerated in line with the specific terms set out in the relevant FTA. In many cases, this is equivalent to the rates for WTO panellists. Please note that successful candidates will only be remunerated if their services are required and provided. 

Selection and appointment process  

The selection procedure will consist of an assessment of applications against the requirements. Appointment of candidates to individual rosters will be made based on relevant sectoral or regional expertise and experience.  

Successful candidates will be contacted by DBT to confirm that they are content to be included in a specified roster. 

Data Protection  

Candidate declaration form 

Applicants must complete a candidate declaration form as part of our due diligence checks. 

The form includes declarations of: 

• conflicts of interest or perceived conflicts of interest 

• previous conduct which could bring the reputation of the department into disrepute 

• political activity and referees for character reference checks  

As part of the due diligence process we will also carry out searches of candidates’:  

• financial probity 

• public statements 

• publicly available social media profiles

The information given in this form will be provided separately to the panel and appointing authority and may be discussed with you. 

You can read more information on data protection in our external privacy information document.

Deadline for application 

The deadline for receipt of applications is 11:59pm on 1 August 2025. We regret that any applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

Applications, and any queries about this process, should be sent to dsarbitrators@businessandtrade.gov.uk.