(a) This part shall be known and may be cited as the “Georgia International Commercial Arbitration Code.”
§ 9-9-20.Short title; statement of purpose
Chapter 9. Arbitration · Article 1. General Provisions · Last amended 2012 · Last verified July 17, 2026
In one sentenceThis section names the statute the “Georgia International Commercial Arbitration Code” and states the legislature’s purpose: encouraging international commercial arbitration in Georgia, enforcing arbitration agreements and awards, promoting prompt and efficient proceedings, and fostering an environment that welcomes international business and trade.
Full Text of § 9-9-20
(b) The purpose of this part is to encourage international commercial arbitration in this state, to enforce arbitration agreements and arbitration awards, to facilitate prompt and efficient arbitration proceedings consistent with this part, and to provide a conducive environment for international business and trade.
Plain-English Summary
Subsection (a) gives this stretch of Title 9 its name: the Georgia International Commercial Arbitration Code. Lawyers and judges shorten it, but knowing the formal name matters when citing the statute or searching for it, since Georgia keeps this law separate from the older, domestic Georgia Arbitration Code that governs purely in-state disputes.
Subsection (b) lays out why the General Assembly passed it. The legislature wanted to draw international business to Georgia courts and Georgia-seated arbitrations, to make sure agreements to arbitrate and the awards that come out of them get enforced, to keep proceedings moving without unnecessary delay, and to build a legal climate that international companies can trust when they pick Georgia as a place to resolve cross-border disputes.
Courts lean on this purpose section when a later provision is ambiguous. Because the Code borrows heavily from the UNCITRAL Model Law, a stated goal of predictability and international consistency guides how judges read the more technical sections that follow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the official name of this law?
Subsection (a) states that this part of Title 9 “shall be known and may be cited as the ‘Georgia International Commercial Arbitration Code.’”
How does this Code differ from Georgia’s regular arbitration statute?
This Code covers international commercial arbitration specifically, while a separate part of Chapter 9 covers domestic arbitration agreements. The two operate side by side under different rules.
What goals did the legislature list for this Code?
Subsection (b) names four goals: encouraging international commercial arbitration in Georgia, enforcing arbitration agreements and awards, facilitating prompt and efficient arbitration, and creating an environment conducive to international business and trade.
Does this section itself resolve any disputes?
No. It states the Code’s title and purpose rather than creating a specific right or procedure, though courts may draw on the stated purpose to interpret later sections.
Why would a court cite this section in an opinion?
Courts often point to the purpose language in subsection (b) when explaining why they are enforcing an arbitration agreement or reading a provision to favor arbitration over litigation.
Amendment History
Code 1981, § 9-9-20, enacted by Ga. L. 2012, p. 961, § 1/SB 383.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, published by the
Official Code of Georgia Annotated, Georgia Code Revision Commission / LexisNexis. Last verified July 17, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: georgia international commercial arbitration codeGICAC purpose statementgeorgia UNCITRAL model law statuteinternational arbitration law georgia purposeshort title georgia arbitration code