Conclave on International Mediation held

Hyderabad: A diverse group of dispute-resolution professionals, judges, academicians, and participants from around the globe gathered at the International Mediation Conclave-2024 on Friday.

Inaugurating the conference, organised under the aegis of the School of Law Mahindra University in collaboration with Lex Erudites and Grayspace Law and Consulting of Belgium, Justice B Prakash Rao, a former judge of the AP High Court, highlighted mediation as a crucial Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) component and advocated for a balance between mediation and traditional judiciary.

He proposed key strategies for successful mediation, including voluntary involvement, awareness, advocacy, capacity building, teamwork, and implementation.

Dr Yajulu Medury, Vice-Chancellor, Mahindra University, welcomed the participants. Prof Bryan Clark, Professor of Law, New Castle University (UK), emphasised the valuable insights from the European Union perspective on mediation. He expressed his readiness for future collaborations between Mahindra University and Newcastle University.

Sagar Singamsetty, founder, Grayspace Law and Consulting, highlighted the transformative potential of mediation in addressing complex and cross-border challenges. Professor V Balakista Reddy, Dean, School of Law, highlighted in his concluding remarks the dispute settlement mechanism that has travelled from institution to ADR and finally online dispute resolution (ODR). He emphasised the growing importance of mediation as a preferred method of settling domestic and international disputes.

The event started with the workshop on Thursday afternoon. The keynote address was delivered by Professor (Dr) Sheriff Elnegahy, Chief Judge, Cairo Economic Affairs Court, and Mediator of the Global Mediation Panel of the Office of the Ombudsman for UN Funds and Programmes of the UN.