Events

MINSK, 22 September (BelTA) - The demand for alternative dispute resolution has been growing in Belarus, Belarus’ First Deputy Justice Minister Sergei Zadiran told BelTA.

“Being the registration authority of arbitration courts and mediation organizations, Belarus’ Justice Ministry observes a growing interest and demand for alternative ways of dispute resolution,” Sergei Zadiran said.

He noted that the modern global trend is alternative dispute resolution, in particular, recourse to arbitral institutions, arbitration courts, to the services of mediators. “Problems, disputes, differences in all spheres will obviously remain. People argue among themselves. So do business entities. The worldwide trend is to find the best, simple, comfortable, cheap ways to resolve these disputes. Belarus also follows this general trend,” Sergei Zadiran noted.

According to him, the popular alternative way to resolve disputes is arbitration, where Belarus also has its own achievements. “We have the International Arbitration Court at the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and the Arbitration Commission at the Belarusian Universal Commodity Exchange. Minsk is the headquarters of the Court of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). Proposals have been made to establish an arbitral tribunal in the EAEU,” he noted.

The first deputy minister drew attention to the fact that this year Belarusian lawyer Alexandre Khrapoutski has been appointed member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration. “This is the first time that a a Belarusian representative has been made member of the court,” he said.

Minsk is hosting the Eastern European Dispute Resolution Forum (EEDRF). The forum with the slogan “Prove it if you can!” has gathered lawyers from around the world to focus on the examination of disputes in international commercial arbitration and state courts.

The forum is attended by more than 200 lawyers representing the most prominent law firms in the world. Representatives of major European arbitration centers have confirmed their participation: the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce, and many others.

The key speaker at the forum is Lord Peter Goldsmith, a member of the Privy Council, co-manager and head of litigation in Europe and Asia. He served as Attorney General for England and Wales in 2001-2007. He is one of the leading specialists in the Queen’s Counsel in London. Lord Peter Goldsmith stood in many cases in the House of Lords, the Privy Council and the Court of Appeal, and also in the international and European courts and courts of a number of other countries.

The slogan “Prove it if you can!” defines the main thematic focus of the forum: obtaining of evidence in international commercial arbitration and state courts. The business program will address topical issues on settlement of disputes in Eastern Europe. According to the organizers, the forum will provide a platform for an exchange of views in the format of live discussions. The presentations of the speakers will be based on real cases.