When one of the parties to an arbitration agreement lacks the funds necessary to pay its share of the filing fee and the advance on costs demanded by the arbitrators, it is in fact deprived of its fundamental right to access to justice guaranteed under Article 6(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights. German Courts have considered that impecuniousity of a party may render the arbitration agreement «incapable of being performed» within the meaning of the New York Convention, and have authorized the impecunious party to go to state courts. However, the jurisdictions where the problem has arisen have adopted different views on the issue. This article deals with the solutions given to impecuniousity in several jurisdictions and other possible remedies available to guarantee access to the arbitral forum to an impecunious party.