Alternative dispute resolution helps mitigate risk

Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) holds the key to enabling trade. This was the message from Janine Myburgh, newly appointed president of the Cape Chamber of Commerce, when she addressed delegates at a recent conference on the topic in Cape Town. “With intra-African trade at worryingly low levels, ADR has become a vital ingredient to mitigating risk for business,” she said. “While this conference is aimed at discussing the finer details of how to promote ADR, how to commercialise ADR and how to institutionalise ADR, we should never forget that the reasons why we are doing this are based on economic necessity.” The Cape Chamber of Commerce, organisers of the two-day conference, in 2012 opened the doors of the African Commercial Dispute Settlement Centre – the first of its kind in the country to be housed within a chamber of commerce. Through its partnerships with various institutions as well as the Chamber Trade Sweden, the centre has gone from strength to strength and is increasingly extending its reach into Africa. Charlotte Kalin, CEO of Chamber Trade Sweden, said internationally ADR promoted trade. “In light of the economic potential in Africa it is key that we build arbitration and mediation capacity on the continent,” she said. “Of course there is still a long way to go, but it is gaining ground. Establishing legal infrastructure and getting buy-in from governments and businesses across the continent is high on the agenda as we take ADR to the next level. INSERT & CAPTION With intra-African trade at worryingly low levels, ADR has become a vital ingredient to mitigating risk for business. – Janine Myburgh