The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) tribunal that is hearing a dispute between Rwanda and the United Kingdom over an unimplemented asylum partnership agreement is expected to deliver its final award no later than May 15. The proceedings, conducted under the PCA Arbitration Rules 2012, concern the implementation of the agreement signed in 2024 between Rwanda and the UK, intended to establish arrangements under which the UK would resettle some of its vulnerable refugees in Rwanda. In the case, Rwanda argues that the UK failed to honour financial obligations worth millions of pounds. Rwanda points out that the UK's new government that took over last year, declared the agreement dead and buried without formally invoking the treaty's termination provisions. The case hearings concluded on March 20, following three days of arguments held from March 18 to 20 at the Peace Palace, which hosts the PCA’s headquarters in The Hague. ALSO READ: Rwanda challenges UK’s ‘common sense’ claim on unpaid MEDP funds What happens next after the awards are issued? After the awards are issued in May, certain confidentiality safeguards will remain in place, before they are published. According to the PCA, any order or award issued by the tribunal will initially remain confidential pending a review process that allows both parties to request redactions. Under the agreed procedure, either Rwanda or the United Kingdom may, within five days of receiving an order, or 10 days after receiving the final award, request that specific portions be redacted. The tribunal will then consider both sides’ views before making a determination. Subject to any approved redactions, the final award and related orders will be published on the PCA’s official website. Until such publication, and unless otherwise agreed, unredacted versions of the tribunal’s decisions will remain confidential. The parties are also required to refrain from publishing any documents related to the arbitration before their official release by the PCA registry. In addition to the final award, the tribunal has outlined several post-award procedures available to both parties. Within ten days of receiving the award, either party may request an official interpretation of its meaning. The tribunal is required to provide such clarification in writing within 30 days. Similarly, parties may request corrections for clerical, typographical, or computational errors within ten days of receiving the award. If justified, the tribunal will issue corrections within 30 days. The tribunal also retains the authority to make such corrections on its own initiative. Where a party believes that certain claims presented during the proceedings were not addressed in the final decision, it may request an additional award within ten days. If the tribunal finds the request valid, it will issue a supplementary ruling within 30 days, with the possibility of extending that timeline if necessary.
