Sri Lanka upgrading its dispute resolution regime and doing business environment to attract FDI

by Sanath Nanayakkare

South & Central Asia Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Center’s country-specific exchanges and international arbitration practitioner training took place at Taj Samudra Colombo on October 19 and 20. The ADR series will mark its successful culmination today in a Symposium, featuring regional experiences by users of Arbitration and Mediation for commercial dispute resolution.

The event provides a forum to foster an exchange of experiences and discuss international best practices and methods of enhancing the quality of Alternative Dispute Resolution services. The Symposium also provides an opportunity to learn more about the value of mediation, the 2018 Singapore Convention on mediation, and to discuss how issues in the delivery of ADR services can be overcome.

A session dedicated to discussing the role of ADR in conflicts relating to investment matters will feature experts who will speak of their experiences from the perspectives of government as well investor. The ADR events on the past two days saw regional representatives of ADR Centers exchanging views and sharing experiences on the use of ADR services in their countries.

The objective of the formation of such a Collective is to provide a forum to network and cooperate to improve and enhance skills and practices and also ensure the maintenance of standards that are relevant in the ADR landscape, including Arbitration and Mediation, to promote better dispute resolution.

The overseas representatives exchanged their insights on ADR during the session held on 19th October.On 20th October they conducted an international Arbitration Practitioner Training.The series was organised by Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP), United States Department of Commerce and CCC-ICLP International ADR Center, Sri Lanka, in coordination with the Department of State, United States Embassy in Sri Lanka.

CLDP is a legal technical assistance office within United States Department of Commerce. Created in 1992, CLDP’s mandate is to work with emerging economies to improve the policy, legal, and regulatory conditions for trade, investment, and commercial activity. CLDP provides legal technical assistance, legislative and policy advisory services, and institutional capacity building to host country governments in support of their economic development goals.

IADR Center, Sri Lanka is a private, not-for-profit entity which provides dispute resolution services in the commercial dispute arena. Incorporated in 2018, it is a collaborative venture of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce (CCC) and the Institute for the Development of Commercial Law & Practice (ICLP). The Center has its own rules for the provision of Arbitration as well as Mediation services and engages widely in promoting ADR and building capacity among ADR practitioners.

It is also expected that the South & Central Asia ADR Collective will be launched at today’s event. The objective of the formation of such a Collective is to provide a forum to network and cooperate to improve and enhance skills and practices and also ensure the maintenance of standards that are relevant in the ADR landscape, including Arbitration and Mediation, to promote better dispute resolution and local doing business environment.