Introduction

In 2002 the United Nations recognized that the use of conciliation and mediation "results in significant benefits, such as reducing the instances where a dispute leads to the termination of a commercial relationship, facilitating the administration of international transactions by commercial parties and producing savings in the administration of justice by States." The use of conciliation and mediation has increased over the ensuing years with the growing use of step clauses in contracts, the issuance of the EU Mediation Directive, increasing court mandated mediation and the influences ...