Michael Frisby Those efforts reflected concerns that this disruption would be so severe that there would be a deluge of claims in litigation and arbitration. Ultimately, there was a fear that international courts and arbitral tribunals might be overwhelmed by a wave of commercial disputes and that, in turn, international commerce would suffer. Guidance on enforcement The government took steps to address this. In addition to financial support such as the furlough scheme, on 7 May 2020 the Cabinet Office produced ‘Guidance on responsible contractual behaviour in the performance and enforcement of contracts impacted by the Covid-19 emergency’. It encouraged contracting parties to act responsibly and fairly at each stage of the contract from the point at which a performance problem arises as a result of Covid. Similarly, the British Institute of International and Comparative Law developed its own set of guidelines.