BCDR-AAA - Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution.
ICCA 50th Anniversary
Date: 19-20 May, 2011.
Location: Geneva.
PRESS RELEASE
21st May 2011
BCDR-AAA LOOKS AT FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEGAL ARBITRATION AT GLOBAL CONFERENCE
A senior delegation from the Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution (BCDR-AAA) attended the annual conference of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (ICCA) in Geneva, Switzerland to look at ways to expand the application and scope of arbitration in legal disputes. ICCA's current President is internationally recognised arbitration expert, Jan Paulsson.
Attended by James MacPherson, Chief Executive Officer and Ali Al Aradi, Chief Registrar, Assistant Chief Executive for Mediation, the visit is part of an ongoing programme of outreach by the BCDR to highlight the unique service it provides in Bahrain and the Middle East.
BCDR-AAA Board of Trustee Members from the American Arbitration Association ( AAA ) President and CEO William Slate and Senior Vice President Richard Naimark also attended the conference representing AAA.
Explaining the importance of the ICCA and the value of the conference, James MacPherson said "Arbitration as a route to resolve a legal dispute has become ever more attractive due to lower fees and faster processing than traditional litigation around the world as well as the ability to retain greater control over the process including the selection of applicable law and location of the arbitration. This unique conference today allowed us to meet with many of the world's leading arbitrators and lawyers in order to introduce and discuss the innovative nature of the BCDR and the value it can offer to clients currently in the region."
Ali Al Aradi, Chief Registrar, added : "'This event offers us a rare opportunity to learn from the top legal and arbitration experts from all over the world, as well as a great opportunity to network and share best practice with other world leaders in the field of alternative dispute resolution".
When the BCDR-AAA opened its doors for business in January 2010, it became the world's first alternative dispute resolution centre to introduce statutory ADR Tribunals, under section one of its decree which stipulates that cases where the amount contested exceeds BHD500,000 (US$1.3 million) will be case managed by the BDCR-AAA rather than the courts.
It also became the first ever country to offer an arbitration "free zone" under section two of the decree.
The ICCA, a worldwide organisation which seeks to promote the use and improve the processes of arbitration, held the two-day conference in Geneva, the birthplace of the organisation, to mark their 50th anniversary. Entitled "Arbitration and ICCA: The Next 50 Years" the two day event addressed the present state of commercial and investment arbitration, and the challenges of the next 50 years and their implications for the practice of arbitration.