On 18 May 2026, Volodymyr Nahnybida, Vice President of the International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICAC), participated in a meeting of the Interagency Coordination Council on the Development of Alternative Dispute Resolution Methods (ICC).

Together with other participants, Mr. Nahnybida discussed the draft Concept for the implementation of a pilot project on conducting informational (assessment) meetings with mediators (the “Pilot Project”).

The discussion focused on the institutional, organisational, and practical aspects of implementing the Pilot Project, including:

• the overall model of the Pilot Project, its structure, components, and composition of participants;
• the role of judges and court administration bodies in implementing the Pilot Project, including with regard to judges’ adherence to the principle of party autonomy;
• the functions of the commission responsible for selecting mediators to participate in the Pilot Project;
• requirements for mediators participating in the Pilot Project, including their areas of specialisation;
• funding and remuneration for mediators participating in the Pilot Project;
• the implementation of the Pilot Project in cross-border disputes, particularly family disputes;
• the involvement of the veteran community in the provision of mediation services in general and in the implementation of the Pilot Project in particular;
• the role of mediation as a tool for de-escalating conflicts in the courts and society at large.

The meeting also featured a presentation on the study of mandatory mediation and the preparatory phase of mediation as tools for pre-trial dispute resolution. Professor Remco van Rhee, Professor of European Legal History and Comparative Civil Procedure at Maastricht University and a member of the ELI/UNIDROIT Working Group, Milica Zlatkovic, Judge of the Court of Appeal of the Republic of Serbia, and Luiza Romanadze, national expert, member of the ICC and President of the Ukrainian Academy of Mediation, presented the findings of the study on the implementation of the preparatory phase of mediation in foreign jurisdictions, as well as an assessment of the institutional and regulatory prospects for introducing this mechanism in Ukraine.

Following the presentation, participants discussed the relationship between access to justice and mandatory mediation, particularly in light of international experience, including the legal frameworks and practices of Romania and Bulgaria.

The meeting also addressed the further development of institutional mediation mechanisms, cooperation between professional communities and public authorities, and the creation of effective models for implementing ADR mechanisms in Ukraine.

ICAC emphasises that the development and promotion of mediation is of paramount importance, as it is an effective tool for preventing and resolving conflicts (disputes) across various areas of social and commercial relations, including international commercial and investment disputes. ICAC’s own experience further confirms this. Since 2022, the Court has also facilitated mediation in international commercial disputes.

Drawing on decades of experience in international arbitration, a profound understanding of cross-border commercial relations, and the practical needs of businesses, ICAC offers parties an efficient and cost-effective mechanism for resolving disputes while preserving long-term business relationships.

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