The New York Convention was established as a result of dissatisfaction with the Geneva Protocol on Arbitration Clauses of 1923 and the Geneva Convention on the Execution of Foreign Arbitral Awards of 1927. The initiative to replace the Geneva treaties came from the International Chamber of Commerce ("ICC"), which issued a preliminary draft convention in 1953. The ICC's initiative was taken over by the United Nations Economic and Social Council ("ECOSOC"), which produced an amended draft convention in 1955. That draft was discussed during a conference at the United Nations Headquarters in May-June 1958, which led to the establishment of the New York Convention. Documents showing the history of these developments can be found below.
E/AC.42/2 - Protocol on Arbitration Clauses, Geneva, 24 September 1923
1927 - Geneva Convention on the Execution of Foreign Arbitral Awards
Report and Preliminary Draft Convention adopted by the Committee on International Commercial Arbitration at its meeting of 13 March 1953
Resolution 520(VII) - Resolution of the Economic and Social Council establishing the Committee
1954/1955
21 Jan 1955 E/AC.42/1
E/2704: E/AC.42/4/Rev.1 - Report of the Committee on the Enforcement of International Arbitral Awards
E/2704/Corr.1: E/AC.42/4/Rev.1/Corr.1 - Report of the Committee on the Enforcement of International Arbitral Awards
ECOSOC requests the Secretary-General to ascertain from the governments whether they consider it desirable to convene a conference to conclude a Convention on the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards, and whether they are prepared to participate in such a conference
ECOSOC decides to convene a conference at its 923rd plenary meeting
E/2822/Add.1 - Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards: Comments by governments on the draft Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards
E/2822/Add.2 - Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards: Comments by governments on the draft Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards
E/2822/Add.3 - Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards: Comments by governments on the draft Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards
E/2822/Add.4 - Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards: Comments by governments on the draft Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards
E/2822/Add.5 - Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards: Comments by governments on the draft Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards