On the evening of January 30, 2020, the International Mediation Expert Training Program (NIMEP) organized by the Swiss-Chinese Law Association was held. Fifty-one domestic and foreign lawyers, legal experts, government officials, and mediators from 20 countries participated in this training. The theme of this training was case studies of international mediation cases. The training was divided into expert training and mock case discussion. The experts and scholars shared their experiences in international mediation cases from different perspectives from practical matters. Participants responded that the training was very fruitful and improved their practical skills in handling cases.
Phillip Hackett, QC from the UK, Peter Alfandary, Vice President of the British French Chamber of Commerce from the UK, Xiaobing Tang, Counsellor of the Market Access Department of the World Trade Organization from China, Dr. Agada Elachi, President of the Chartered Institute of Mediators and Conciliators from Nigeria, Olga Tsiptse, Advocate of the Supreme Court of Greece from Greece, and Dr. Tsiptse, Counsel of the Supreme Court of Greece from the UK. Tsiptse, a member of the Royal Institute of Chartered Arbitrators from the United Kingdom, and Paulo Fernando Pinheiro Machado, former Deputy Director of the European Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, explained the practical application of international mediation from various levels in the light of their own working experience. The training covered cultural diversity in agreement negotiations, revaluation of mediation, international mediation practice, and WTO case studies on international mediation. These cases are rich and diverse, involving both the application of international interventions, discussing the Singapore Mediation Convention and the New York Convention. It also involves the discussion of cases between public and private law, such as mediation of trade disputes between governments under the WTO, mediation of border issues between two countries, and mediation of corporate cross-border trade disputes; as well as training in mediation skills, such as how to deal with cultural differences, how to deal with historical legacy issues, and how to deal with silent techniques between negotiations. The members participated enthusiastically in the discussions.
The Swiss-Chinese Association also invited seven academic scholars and experts to discuss mock cases. Natascha Tunkel, Partner at KNOETZL; Dr. Alberto Elisaveasky, Founder and President of Latin American Social Network Online Dispute Resolution; Dr. Daniel Brantes Ferreira, Professor at Candido Mendes University and Ambra University, Gunavathi Subra, Professor at Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. The scholars brought many cases to discuss the different factors affecting international mediation cases from various levels, such as cross-cultural differences. Further, the experts shared technical aspects of dealing with these uncertainties and achieving a win-win model in international mediation cases.
At the end of the program, Natascha Tunkel, Hermann Knott, and Tianze Zhang concluded the program with a review of the knowledge highlights and enlightenment of the training, and Hermann Knott thanked all participants for their serious and dedicated participation on Saturday afternoon and evening.
