The III World Business Mediation Summit, held on 1–2 October 2025 in Bogotá, Colombia, brought together mediators, experts, business leaders, institutions and professionals from different countries to reflect, debate and share experiences on the strategic role of mediation in the business environment.
Jointly organised by the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Commerce of Valladolid, the Summit has become one of the most influential gatherings in the field of corporate mediation. Now in its third edition, it has established itself as a platform that provides a practical, technical and innovative perspective in the positive transformation of business relationships through mediation.
A Summit for Business, Not Just for Mediators
From its inception in Valladolid in 2023, the World Business Mediation Summit set out to redefine how the business community perceives mediation. Unlike traditional legal forums, the Summit aimed to engage those at the heart of commerce: the businesses themselves.
This year’s edition built on that mission. At its core, the Summit sought to strengthen the exchange of best practices in corporate conflict prevention and the promotion of a culture of peace within the business sector. Through a series of panels, case studies, and interactive dialogues, participants explored the practical role of mediation in enhancing corporate reputation, strengthening institutional values, and fostering resilient stakeholder relationships.
A notable feature of this year’s edition was that it brought representatives from the judiciaries of Poland, Spain, and Colombia, highlighting the growing institutional recognition of mediation within modern justice systems. Their collective was to integrate mediation into commercial practice as not only a peripheral option but as a mainstream choice.
Humanising Business Disputes
Among the speakers was Delcy Lagones De Anglim, an IMI Certified Mediator, legal practitioner, and dispute resolution specialist. Delcy’s own presentation in Bogotá centred around the humanisation of business processes and dispute resolution.
In our conversation following the Summit, Delcy reflected:
“It was agreed that the benefits of an amicable resolution of a commercial or business dispute, specifically mediation, go beyond the parties themselves, it transcends to society in general. Mediation builds bridges and therefore creates more peaceful societies.”
Delcy’s words capture the spirit of the event and its theme of building conscious dialogue between companies and their stakeholders. In a world where corporate conflict can have far-reaching economic and social consequences, the role of mediation as a way to resolve conflicts without eroding relationships and reputations has never been more vital.
In the context of business mediation, Delcy stressed the importance of recognising the human dimension in business disputes:
“We must give businesses credit. Often, corporations are presented in a negative light. For mediators, the most important goal in the mediation is to establish empathy.”
Spotlight on Delcy: Championing Mediation Across Borders
Delcy’s own journey into mediation is deeply personal. Originally a lawyer in Peru, she worked with indigenous communities, where she witnessed the transformative power of dialogue and consensus-building
Starting out in local community mediation, Delcy’s contributions to the mediation landscape now span Latin America, Europe, and Asia. Key positions throughout Delcy’s career include her role as the Head of the LawAsia delegation to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) negotiations, where she played a pivotal role in the drafting of the Singapore Convention on Mediation, a landmark treaty that has redefined the enforcement of international settlement agreements.
Read: Years of Progress: The Development of the Singapore Convention on Mediation
A founding partner of the Australasian Dispute Resolution Centre in Canberra and Third Party Mediation, Delcy has mediated over 2,500 disputes, ranging from complex international investment and environmental conflicts to cross-border family matters.
Celebrated as International Mediator of the Year in Australia and for Excellence in the Practice of Dispute Resolution, she continues to shape the global mediation landscape through her leadership, mentorship, and cross-cultural insight.
Global Standards and Building Capacity
As an IMI Certified Mediator herself, Delcy emphasised the growing importance of training, accreditation, and global standards in the mediation field. With mediation expanding rapidly worldwide, she stressed the need for well-trained and ethically grounded professionals capable of upholding integrity and neutrality in practice.
Over the past year, she has launched mediation training initiatives delivered in Spanish across South America, in collaboration with chambers of commerce and academic institutions. Presently, Delcy is spearheading a mediation training initiative in Cambodia in collaboration with the Bar Federation, aimed at equipping local lawyers with mediation skills that reflect global best practices. Delcy also collaborates with the first Spanish-speaking IMI Certified Mediator Training Program (CMTP) Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in the capacity of a trainer.
Her advice to emerging professionals in the field of business mediation is simple:
“Keep learning, stay impartial, and know when to say no. The integrity of a mediator lies in their ability to remain neutral, even when it’s difficult.”
In this respect, Delcy also underscored the important role played by organisations like the International Mediation Institute in setting international standards for mediators, advocates and organisations. Such standards not only enable mediators and professionals from diverse jurisdictions to earn mutual recognition and trust globally, but also give businesses the necessary confidence in using mediation as a dispute resolution tool.
Learn more about IMI’s global standards for certification, training and assessment, and IMI’s draft Code of Ethics.
Looking Ahead: Costa Rica 2026 and Beyond
In her final remarks, Delcy commented that:
“the [World Business Mediation] Summit has evolved into a bridge between the business and mediation communities.”
The next edition of the event, the IV World Business Mediation Summit, will take place in Costa Rica in 2026. Just as the third edition expanded its audience and witnessed the participation of the members of judicial bodies, the fourth edition will aim to further broaden its reach, bringing together a wider and more diverse cohort of experts, business leaders, and professionals from across regions.
Looking ahead, Delcy envisions the Summit eventually moving beyond Latin America, expanding its global footprint to foster a truly international dialogue on mediation in business. Until then, the bridges built in Bogotá stand as a testament to the Summit’s growing impact: one conversation, one resolution, and one relationship at a time.
