News and insights

Omnia Strategy and CIArb continue to Offer Pro Bono ADR Training.

14th June 2021

Omnia Strategy and CIArb are happy to announce they will be delivering another pro bono training event in June focusing on investor-state mediation, following the success of their joint arbitration training programme, ‘Succeeding in Arbitration for State Advocates’, in January 2021.

More than 25 State Advocates from around the world attended the training sessions in January, which were expertly coordinated by Ania Farren and Ana Paula Montans, international arbitration experts from Omnia Strategy, and Professor Dr Mohamed Abdel Wahab MCIArb, CIArb Trustee and Course Director of CIArb’s Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration. The sessions included simulations and other interactive sessions, and the June course will similarly use demonstrations and role-play to consider the role of mediation in investor-state disputes.

Both organisations have a strong commitment to training. CIArb provides ADR training in disciplines such as arbitration, construction adjudication and mediation through its headquarters in London and branch network across the world. Omnia Strategy LLP specialises in bespoke dispute resolution and dispute prevention around the globe, and recognises the importance of facilitating capacity-building for its clients and other states.

Mrs Blair CBE, QC, Founder and Chair of Omnia Strategy, said:

We are greatly looking forward to working with CIArb again in delivering this pro bono training to State Advocates.  We hope that the sessions will encourage our clients to explore the greater use of mediation in their investor-state disputes, something that is often spoken about but little used in practice.

Catherine Dixon, Director General of CIArb, added:

CIArb is committed to working with partners across the world to improve access to justice through the use of ADR and investor-state mediation. Mediation offers a real opportunity for states and investors to develop creative solutions to resolve disputes in situations that involve a range of complex and interlocking issues and interests. By offering this training pro bono and in collaboration with Omnia Strategy, we do hope to provide State Advocates from around the world with the requisite skills to use mediation in resolving investor-state disputes. 

The June programme will feature Ms Farren and Professor Dr Mohamed Abdel Wahab MCIArb, and also CIArb Director of Education and Training, Dr Paresh Kathrani. It will be led by Dr Isabel Phillips, CIArb Head of Mediation and Development and Wolf von Kumburg FCIArb, Tutor on the CIArb virtual mediation training programme. It affirms both organisations’ commitment to access to justice and the rule of law.

For further information, please contact Ania Farren on [email protected]

A pdf of the Press Release is available here: