Easing Access to Justice & Boosting Business Development
Challenges and opportunities of the New Era in Dispute Resolution were discussed at the fifth annual international conference GIAC Arbitration Days opened in Tbilisi on October 4. The two-day event focused on new approaches in international arbitration, modern technologies and digital and online arbitration.
The conference brought together the leading arbitrators and lawyers from different countries, including over 40 international arbitration specialists and judges.
Speaking at the opening of the conference, Thea Tsulukiani, Minister of Justice of Georgia, stressed that Georgia’s progress in developing alternative methods of dispute resolution contributes to improving the investment environment and creates ground for promoting Georgia as a regional arbitration center.
Carl Hartzell, Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, noted the importance of international arbitration for Georgia’s success in business development.
"The European Union is committed to protecting the interests of Georgian entrepreneurs by improving commercial legislation and the functioning of courts. As part of this, we support independent arbitration as an alternative to often lengthy and costly court processes," Ambassador Hartzell said.
The participants of the Arbitration Days were also addressed by Nino Chikovani, President of the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Nino Bakakuri, Judge of the Supreme Court of Georgia; Irakli Lekvinadze, Business Ombudsman of Georgia; Sophie Tkhemaldze – Chairperson of Georgian Association of Arbitrators; and David Saganelidze – CEO JSC “Partnership Fund”.
The Arbitration Days in Tbilisi is the region’s largest arbitration forum which aims to share knowledge and best practices among the participants countries. This year, the conference hosted a series of learning events, including a workshop for businesses on arbitration agreements, led by the International Center for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), and a workshop on ethics lead by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).
In the course of the conference, the Georgian International Arbitration Centre (GIAC) signed an agreement with the Vienna International Arbitration Center (VIAC) to organize joint events, share information and cooperate on arbitration litigation and effective implementation of alternative dispute resolution, including the allocation of working spaces for arbitration hearings.
The fifth Arbitration Days in Tbilisi was organized by the Georgian International Arbitration Center (GIAC) and supported by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in the framework of the EU’s wider program in Georgia, EU4Justice.
By Katie Ruth Davies