The team leading the OHADAC project has confirmed that the conference organised by the Dispute Resolution Foundation Of Jamaica was held from August 17 to 21, 2020.

The aim of this institution (established in 1994) is to promote the use of alternative dispute resolution methods in Jamaica and neighbouring territories by widening access so that they can contribute to peaceful relations in the different spheres of economic and social life.

An overview of the talks given by the different speakers at the conference can be consulted in the attached report.

The conference explored the positive impact of the use of alternative dispute resolution methods on the various economic and social sectors in the Caribbean as well as issues relating to how they are used.

The conference enjoyed record numbers, with over 9,000 attendees registered.

The third day in particular was devoted to alternative dispute resolution techniques in an international context, with talks by specialists from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, France, the United States, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

The second panel on the same day was dedicated to “alternative dispute resolution methods of the past, present and future”, and included talks by Sir Dennis Byron, former president of the Caribbean Court of Justice and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda; Judge SAUNDERS, current president of the Caribbean Court of Justice; Tijani Christian, president of the Commonwealth Youth Council; and Marie-Camille PITTON, a lawyer who heads the arbitration and mediation section of the OHADAC project.

The talks by Judge SAUNDERS and Sir Dennis BYRON highlighted the potential of alternative dispute resolution methods for supporting the region's judicial systems. A more systematic use of these techniques would reduce the burden on judges and, it follows, improve access to justice. The importance of including arbitration clauses when drafting commercial contracts was also underlined, especially given the problems in accessing justice that have become more critical since the coronavirus pandemic. Finally, in underlining the importance of training regional experts in this field, Sir Dennis Byron welcomed the setting up of the OHADAC Centre for Arbitration and Mediation, which will help to expand this expertise and will coordinate the more local initiatives that have been developed in recent years.

Tijani Christian's talk focused on the use of alternative dispute resolution methods to create peaceful relations within communities, stressing the need to provide solid training for local actors.

The presentation on OHADAC was used to announce the forthcoming launch of the activities of the OHADAC Centre for Arbitration and Mediation and to explore the innovations that the Centre is keen to introduce to meet the region's significant requirements in terms of access to justice. Also emphasised was the need to offer not only resolution services but also dispute prevention through the use of facilitation or deal mediation techniques; to develop regional expertise in the field of alternative dispute resolution methods; and to create a dialogue with local institutions so that the service offers meet the real needs of potential users.

The conference ended with a concert, which can be viewed by clicking on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQvznL8Tjm4&t=12708s

For more information: contact@ohadac.com