Challenges and opportunities of the New Era in Dispute Resolution is being discussed at the fifth annual international conference GIAC Arbitration Days opened in Tbilisi on 4 October 2018. The two-day event focuses on the new approaches in international arbitration, modern technologies and digital and online arbitration.

The conference brings together the leading arbitrators and lawyers from different countries, including over 40 international arbitration specialists and judges.

Speaking at the opening of the conference, Thea Tsulukiani, Minister of Justice of Georgia, stressed that Georgia’s progress in developing alternative methods of dispute resolution contributes to improving the investment environment and creates the ground for promoting Georgia as a regional arbitration centre.

Carl Hartzell, Ambassador of the European Union to Georgia, noted the importance of international arbitration for Georgia’s success in business development.

"The European Union is committed to protecting the interests of Georgian entrepreneurs by improving commercial legislation and the functioning of courts.  As part of this, we support independent arbitration as an alternative to often lengthy and costly court processes," Ambassador Hartzell said.  

The participants of the Arbitration Days were also addressed by Nino Chikovani – President of Georgian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Nino Bakakuri – Judge of Supreme Court of Georgia; Irakli Lekvinadze – Business Ombudsman of Georgia; Sophie Tkhemaldze – Chairperson of Georgian Association of Arbitrators; and David Saganelidze – CEO JSC “Partnership Fund”.

The Arbitration Days in Tbilisi is the region’s largest arbitration forum which aims to share knowledge and best practices among the participants countries. This year, the conference is hosting a series of learning events, including a workshop for businesses on arbitration agreements, led by the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), and a workshop on ethics lead by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb).  

In the course of the conference, the Georgian International Arbitration Centre (GIAC) signed an agreement with the Vienna International Arbitration Centre (VIAC) to organise joint events, share information and cooperate on arbitration litigation and effective implementation of alternative dispute resolution, including the allocation of working spaces for arbitration hearings.

The fifth Arbitration Days in Tbilisi is organized by the Georgian International Arbitration Centre (GIAC) and supported by the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the framework of the EU’s wider programme in Georgia, EU4Justice.

Media contact  

• Sofia Makatsaria, GIAC, +995 591 650500, sofia_linhart@yahoo.com
• Teiko Kandelaki, UNDP in Georgia, +995 599 103525, tinatin.kandelaki@undp.org
• Sophie Tchitchinadze, UNDP in Georgia, +995 599 196907, sophie.tchitchinadze@undp.org
• Tamar Mikadze, Delegation of the European Union to Georgia, +995 32 2943763, tamriko.mikadze@eeas.europa.eu