Georgia marked the creation of LEPL Mediators Association today at an event opened by Deputy Minister of Justice, Mikheil Sarjveladze, European Union Ambassador, Carl Hartzell, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Head, Louisa Vinton and senior representatives of the Georgian justice system. In line with the Mediation Law adopted in 2019, the Association was established in December 2019 with 55 founding members. The Association organized the event to present its strategy and plans and inform the public about the new opportunities that mediation brings to expand access to justice.

Mediation is an alternative mechanism for dispute resolution that enables disputing parties to settle conflicts by finding mutually beneficial solutions with the help of a neutral third party: the mediator. It offers a less costly and less time-consuming alternative to going to court. The EU and UNDP have been supporting mediation for years as part of a broader program to promote alternative dispute resolution.

“Mediation is still in its infancy in Georgia. We believe there is clear potential for more people wishing to seek amicable, win-win solutions, by opting out from court proceedings,” said EU Ambassador, Carl Hartzell. “We hope the establishment of the Association can bring a further impulse to increasing the quality and use of mediation in civil disputes, and we look forward to continuing our close cooperation to this end.”

“UNDP supports mediation because it offers a path to justice for the thousands of people who lack the financial resources needed to seek dispute resolution through court proceedings,” noted UNDP Head, Louisa Vinton. “Moreover, by seeking solutions that all parties to a dispute can accept, mediation offers a welcome alternative to the adversarial approach that often results in a winner-take-all court verdict.”

The Association, established as an independent legal entity of public law (LEPL), serves as a self-regulation body for mediators. As part of its mandate, it accredits mediators, sets minimum qualification standards, defines ethics rules and facilitates the development of both in-court and out-of-court mediation.

“We have an important job to do,” said Association Chair, Irakli Kandashvili. “The public has high expectations. To meet them we need to work actively to set the best standards and practice for mediators' profession.”

Kandashvili informed participants about the organization’s strategic vision. Attendees discussed the association’s future and partnership opportunities aimed at further development of mediation in Georgia.

The event was organized by the Mediators Association with support from the EU-UNDP project “Enhanced Mediation and Arbitration for Faster and Fairer Dispute Resolution,” a component of EU4Business.

Media contact

• Teiko Kandelaki, UNDP in Georgia, +995 599 103525, tinatin.kandelaki@undp.org
• Tamar Mikadze, Delegation of the European Union to Georgia, +995 32 2943763, tamriko.mikadze@eeas.europa.eu