National Centre for Dispute Resolution Completes 10 Years, Celebrates A Decade Of Achievement
In 2007, National Centre for Dispute Resolution (NCDR), Pakistan’s first mediation centre was established by the name of Karachi Centre for Dispute Resolution (KCDR) with support and assistance of the High Court of Sindh and International Finance Corporation/World Bank Group. Today, after 10 years, this not-for-profit organization stands tall, providing mediation and recently arbitration services to parties entangled in commercial, civil and family disputes either pending adjudication in courts or pouring in through independent referrals. Since its inception, the organization has resolved disputes worth over 21 million dollars through mediation and has trained more than 1,170 individuals from various professional backgrounds in the art of conflict resolution, which in itself speaks volumes of its success.
NCDR has, on its rolls, services of internationally accredited mediators who have been trained by foreign experts or have completed foreign training in accordance with the requirements of Pakistan. These mediators facilitate dialogue through their expertise and encourage parties to reach a settlement which is agreeable to all concerned. Professionalism, efficacy and confidentiality add to the advantages of the process.
The recent introduction of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Act 2017 which has been adopted by the Treasury benches after having been enacted as an Act of the Parliament, is a fruit of the constant efforts of NCDR and the (late) President NCDR, Justice (R) Saiduzzaman Siddiqui. NCDR had been working towards legislation on ADR since 2014 and had even introduced the Bill as a ‘Private Member Bill’ in 2015.
The organization has signed several MOUs and works in close collaboration with the High Court of Sindh, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), Trade Dispute Resolution Organization (TDRO), Institute of Chartered Accountant of Pakistan (ICAP), Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Sustainable Peace and Development Organization (SPADO) and Istanbul Chamber of Commerce Arbitration Centre (iTOTAM).
To mark the 10th anniversary of NCDR, it is reiterated that even though courts have always been a platform for addressing disputes, the reality remains that due to a huge backlog of cases pending in our courts, a resolution is not achieved without going through a protracted procedure. Mediation, on the other hand, allows parties to control the terms and conditions of settlement with minimum hindrances. Mediation should therefore be seen as a regime for resolution of disputes which ensures improvement in not only the business climate of the country but also provides a swift and convenient mode of dispute resolution to a citizen.
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