The eight-day training course for mediators marked its start on the 17th of November. The training is conducted within the frames of the “Support to the Justice Reform in Armenia” project.
At the beginning of the training, Mr. Maxime Longangue, Deputy Head of Office of the CoE Office in Yerevan, and Mr. Tigran Dadunc, chairman of the Board of Trustees of Arbitration and Mediation Center of Armenia delivered welcoming speeches. They represented the project and its anticipated results. Trainers were CoE experts Sophio Chachava and Ramon Tena. On the first day speakers discussed the alternative ways for resolving disputes and negotiations. They also spoke about disputes and alternative dispute resolution.
The following topics were covered:
- Introduction to ADR methods and negotiation
- New perspectives on conflict
- Continuation of the previous session; Reflection hand-out
- Features of the mediation process, rules of conduct of the mediator, the rights and obligations of mediators
- Communication tools
- Continuation of the previous session; Reflection hand-out
- Amendments to the law on mediation, the registry of licensed mediators, the specifics of implementing mandatory mediation, the drafting of a mediation agreement
- The mediator’s profile
- Preparing for a mediation
- Mediation in employment disputes: principles of employment legislation, rights and obligations of the employer and employee, employment contract and grounds for termination, working hours and the right to rest
- Identifying interests and needs
- Mediation in disputes concerning neighborly law and loan agreements, analyzing the characteristics of the mediation agreement
- Mediation in family disputes: conclusion and dissolution of marriage, personal rights and obligations of spouses, rights and obligations of parents and children, alimony obligations
- Initiation of a mediation process with participation of a licensed mediator within a court case, the specifics of the proceedings for the approval of a mediation agreement concluded out of court with participation of a licensed mediator
The project involved 20 participants. 7 of them were licensed mediators, the others were yet to become. For the licensed mediators this was a rehearsal, for the others this was an opportunity to take part in the qualification exam. The aim of the project was to develop alternative dispute resolution through establishing a group of qualified mediators. The reform in its turn aims to ease the load in the courts.
More than 80 people applied for the project. In her speech, the director of AMCA Mrs. Matinyan stressed that this kind of training sessions will continue to ensure the development of mediation in Armenia and by that promote use of alternative dispute resolution.
The 40-hour-long educational module developed by the CoE experts, included the main principles of the mediation theory and their use in practice. As mentioned above, the main speakers were CoE experts Sophio Chachava and Ramon Tena. Besides, sessions were held every day by Armenian experts and judges, who spoke about domestic developments, legal regulations on mediation, etc. On the last day of the training, participants got their certificates from the director of the “Legislation Development Center: Foundation Mr. Tigran Dadunc, and the director of the “Arbitration and Mediation Center of Armenia” Tatevik Matinyan. The qualification exam will be held on the 1st of December. The initiative is a result of the efficient cooperation of the Council of Europe, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Armenia, and the Arbitration and Mediation Center of Armenia (AMCA). The project is co-financed by the European Union and the Council of Europe.