I recently had the great pleasure of being part of a fantastic expert panel at the Paris Arbitration Week #PAW2024 hosted by Paris-Panthéon-Assas University under the overarching theme of Holistic Approach on Dispute Resolution. The panel presented the opportunity to discuss several illuminating topics, including Mixed -Modes, Mediation and Arbitration Clauses in Business Contracts, International Trends, Government Initiatives to Raise Awareness about Mediation and Challenges and Opportunities Mediation and Mediators.
The Panel and audience was warmly welcomed by Marie-Elodie Ancel of Paris-Panthéon-Assas University, Assas-King’s College and Malik Laazouzi, also of Paris-Panthéon-Assas University. A big thank you to Lisa B. Morgan for her smooth moderation and to my fellow panelists alongside whom it was a pleasure to share, including Jeremy Lack who is IMI Certified.
Wearing two hats and playing the dual role both as professional independent mediator at Herberholz Mediation Services and Chair-Elect of the Board of Members at IMI, I was thrilled to share the importance of qualification training, international certification and how practitioners, educators and students can support raising awareness for mediation.
The question I was posed as IMI Chair-elect was: the International Mediation Institute promotes transparency and standards in mediation worldwide as well as the understanding and adoption of mediation — how can IMI help educate the public on mediation and its benefits? Below is an overview of what I shared with the audience.
Resources
IMI offers a comprehensive online platform featuring articles, videos, case studies and testimonials explaining what mediation is, how it works, global trends and its advantages.
Conferences
Aimed at different demographics, including businesses, legal professionals, government officials, and community leaders, IMI regularity organises conferences to raise awareness about mediation. The last successful event was in February in Paris during ICC Mediation Week.
Certification
IMI’s certification programs for mediators ensure high standards of practice and professionalism. IMI certification helps build trust in the mediation process, ensures highest quality and encourages more individuals and organisations to consider mediation as a viable option for resolving disputes.
Partnerships with Stakeholders
IMI has and continues to form strong partnerships with government agencies, non-profit organisations, and international bodies to promote mediation as a preferred method for resolving conflicts. These partnerships allow to multiply messaging and raising awareness.
One such example of partnership with key stakeholders for the formation of IMI’s Mixed Mode Task Force, a combined collaboration with College of Commercial Arbitrators (CCA), the International Mediation Institute (IMI) and the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine School of Law. The Task Force is entrusted with the crucial mission of examining and developing model standards and criteria for integrating diverse dispute resolution processes. Specifically, it focuses on combining adjudicative systems (such as litigation, arbitration, or adjudication) with non-adjudicative methods (like conciliation or mediation), whether in parallel, sequentially, or as integrated processes.
Next Generation of Professional Mediators
IMI is committed to empowering the next gen of mediators through qualification training programmes delivered by trusted and audited training organisations worldwide. Moreover YMI, founded in 2010, 200+ members worldwide (IMI qualified) enjoy IMI’s mentoring framework, online mock mediation sessions and peer reviews.
