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the Rules. The arbitral tribunal should invite the parties to agree on the

allocation of costs. These costs should include those fixed by the

Court.

The Role of the Arbitral Tribunal

The arbitral tribunal should assist the parties to properly transform

their settlement to a proper award. However, this scrutiny should be

done with great care and sensitivity, since it is not the arbitral tribunal’s

function to advise a party about the settlement. Sometimes, settlements

may include issues that go beyond the scope of the issues. Such a set-

tlement agreement may be recorded in the award by consent provided

all parties agree; however, the award must clarify that additional mat-

ters have been treated by the parties as falling within the overall dis-

pute

7

.

The arbitral tribunal should notify the parties in case the settlement

is incomplete, ambiguous, or conditional upon matters that may be

subject to future disagreements

8

. On the other hand, it should be

emphasized that the award by consent may not contain any decision by

the arbitral tribunal. The arbitral tribunal may not decide on the

remaining issues on which the parties did not reach an agreement, in

order to complete the award

9

.

Arbitral Tribunal’s Refusal to Issue an Award by Consent

Article 32 of the Rules does not oblige the arbitral tribunal to make

an award by consent. An arbitral tribunal is free to refuse to issue an

award by consent; however, it should be noted that this is rare in prac-

tice. It is important that the arbitral tribunal is satisfied that every party

has requested the award. Silence or apparent acquiescence would not

be sufficient

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. Factors such as whether the settlement agreement is

contrary to mandatory law or public policy, or whether the award could

ARBITRATION LAW

193

7

Drafting Awards in ICC Arbitrations, p. 39.

8

Secretariat’s Guide, p. 326.

9

Secretariat’s Guide, p. 327.

10

Drafting Awards in ICC Arbitrations, p. 38.