Key trends & development in international mediation
Key trends & development in international mediation
Published 1 January, 2020
What we've really seen in the past decade is the burgeoning of mediation practice around the world…What that also means is that we've seen a corresponding growth in mediation service providers, particularly from institutions.
Nadja Alexander
Professor of Law; Director, Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy (SIDRA)
In brief
- Mediation is a negotiation process supported by an independent third party that supports two disputing parties to communicate better, identify issues, and generate options to work towards settling differences. International mediation focuses on parties, businesses, and individuals in different countries.
- Interest in mediation to resolve cross-border disputes has increased dramatically in recent years due to increasing access to the Internet and the growing number of smaller enterprises doing business internationally.
- There has also been developments in the global legal landscape, such as the Singapore Convention on Mediation which ensures that a settlement reached by parties becomes binding and enforceable.
Interest in mediation to resolve cross-border disputes has increased dramatically in recent years due to increasing access to the Internet and a growing number of small, local enterprises with overseas business. Professor Nadja Alexander from SMU’s School of Law discusses some of the top trends impacting the nature and practice of international mediation based on a recent study.
As the profile of businesses engaged in disputes is now more diverse than ever, there is a need for dispute resolution mechanisms that are culturally responsive as well as internationally robust. Mediation is one mechanism that offers a flexible and confidential forum for business to resolve their differences in an effective and efficient way. Interest in mediation to resolve cross-border disputes has increased dramatically in recent years due to increasing access to the Internet and the growing number of smaller enterprises doing business internationally.
Nadja Alexander is Professor of Law at SMU School of Law. She also heads the Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy as its Director, and a prominent mediator, educator, consultant and writer.