11 – 12 May 2015 the international conference «Arbitration and Mediation in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and some countries of Asia» took place in Istanbul (Turkey). Over 40 participants attended the conference including representatives from Turkey, Poland, Moldova, Bulgaria, Romania, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Uzbekistan, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
The event was organized by the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, on the part of Turkey, and the Polish Association for Arbitration and Mediation in Poznan and Court of Arbitration at Nowy Tomyśl Chamber of Commerce (Poland), on the part of Poland.
The delegates from Ukraine were Mykola SELIVON, President of the ICAC and MAC at the Ukrainian CCI, and Tetiana ZAKHARCHENKO, Vice President of the ICAC and MAC at the Ukrainian CCI.
The first day of the conference was fully dedicated to the issues of international commercial arbitration.
Session I, moderated by Mykola SELIVON, discussed the issues of interaction between state courts and arbitration. The reporters spoke on the conditions of functioning of arbitration in their countries, peculiarities of the legal regulation of issues concerning interaction between state courts and arbitration, setting aside and enforcement of arbitral awards.
Session II, moderated by Ergun Özsunay, professor of law, legal counsel to the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, discussed the legal status of arbitrators, their relationship with the parties to dispute and permanent court of arbitration, codes of ethics for arbitrators. At that session Mykola SELIVON presented his report on «The legal status of arbitrator under the laws of Ukraine», which highlighted the issues related to the procedure of appointing arbitrators, their rights and duties as well as challenge and replacement procedures.
Session III focused on the opportunities for the development of international commercial arbitration, its role in the operation of international commercial turnover.
The second day of the working session was devoted to the issues of mediation, its legal framework and practice, development of legislation in Turkey, Russia, Georgia, Romania and other countries, as well as to the discussion of new trends in ADR and its perspectives.
The working program of the conference was completed by opening reception of the newly established Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Arbitration Center (ITOTAM) and the presentation of its Rules.
During the conference, while panel and backroom discussion, while debates the delegates of the ICAC and MAC popularized the Ukrainian model of organization and functioning of the permanent arbitration institutions; highlighted the advantages of Ukrainian arbitration with regard to time and costs. Taking into account that 30-35% of the participants of disputes considered by the ICAC are the entrepreneurs from Asia, it was suggested that our arbitration institutions, especially given the fact that the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Arbitration Center has not yet begun to consider disputes, could be a bridge between entrepreneurs of Europe and Asia.
