International law expert Zimmermann new arbitrator for OSCE Court!

International law expert Zimmermann new arbitrator for OSCE Court!

On September 12, 2025, it was announced that Prof. Andreas Zimmermann was appointed by the federal government as an arbitrator at the Conciliation and Arbitration Court of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). This appointment is valid for the term of office from 2025 to 2031. Zimmermann, a recognized international law expert, brings extensive experience in international court proceedings, having served both as an ad hoc judge and as a party representative. This role is particularly important because the OSCE Court of Conciliation and Arbitration, which has existed since 1995, serves to resolve disputes peacefully between the 57 member states. It is noteworthy that this court has so far played a marginal role in diplomatic conflict resolution in Europe, as Zimmermann himself notes.

In order to appoint conciliators or arbitrators, the member states must agree. In addition to Germany, other countries such as Albania, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg and Poland have also appointed representatives to the Court. Each State Party shall appoint two conciliators, an arbitrator and a deputy arbitrator, for a term of six years. The independence and impartiality of the members of the Court are central principles, and they may be selected by the disputing parties for arbitration commissions or arbitration tribunals.

Career of Andreas Zimmermann

Andreas Zimmermann, born on June 18, 1961 in Tübingen, is an experienced international lawyer with an impressive academic and professional career. After graduating from high school in 1980, he studied law from 1980 to 1986 at the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen, in Aix-en-Provence and at the Academy of International Law in The Hague. He passed his first state law exam as the best in his year. After completing a master's degree at Harvard Law School and another state examination, he held various academic and advisory positions, including being director of the Walther Schücking Institute for International Law in Kiel between 2001 and 2009 and a professor at the University of Potsdam since October 2009.

Zimmermann was a visiting professor at renowned universities such as the Michigan School of Law and the University of Copenhagen. He was also an advisor to the German negotiating delegation for the creation of the International Criminal Court and a member of the expert commission for the development of the International Criminal Code. In his role, Zimmermann has held a number of important positions, including member of the German Red Cross's expert committee on international humanitarian law and repeated advisory activities at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Arbitration in an international context

International arbitration is a common instrument for resolving disputes between states. It allows the parties to the dispute to decide on various aspects of the procedure, such as the legal basis and the composition of the court. Ad hoc arbitration tribunals can be formed when necessary and decide on disputes that have already arisen, while permanent arbitration tribunals are often defined in bilateral or multilateral arbitration treaties. The attractiveness of this form of arbitration lies in the sovereignty-friendly and flexible design options that enable the parties to the conflict to influence the composition of the court and the basis for decision-making.

Arbitration provides a binding decision that is final for the parties. An arbitration award is considered final and is rarely subject to review. For Zimmermann, conciliation and arbitration represent a central element of the international legal order, which is of considerable importance in times of increasingly complex geopolitical conflicts.