On April 18-19, with the USAID Rule of Law Program (Program) support, ten mediators representing various cities of Georgia including Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Batumi, and Akhaltsikhe, participated in a Mediator Ethics training organized by the Mediators Association of Georgia (MAG).

This ethics training initiative is an important component of MAG’s Continuing Professional Development Program, which was established with assistance from USAID's Promoting Rule of Law in Georgia (PROLoG) activity and is mandatory for all mediators.

Facilitated by Natia Chitashvili, a mediator and member of MAG's Executive Board, and Irakli Kandashvili, MAG's Chairman, the training covered a range of topics to equip mediators with the necessary knowledge and skills to conduct fair, impartial, and ethical mediation processes. Participants engaged in discussions on the important role of ethics in mediation and received guidance on navigating ethical challenges.

The training sessions also included engaging group exercises where participants collectively tackled specific cases presenting ethical challenges. These cases encompassed scenarios such as:

• understanding how to identify, manage, and disclose conflicts of interest that may arise during the mediation process;
• discussing the importance of maintaining confidentiality and privacy in mediation, including the limitations of confidentiality and the circumstances under which confidentiality may be waived or breached;
• addressing the concept of informed consent and ensuring that all parties fully understand the mediation process, their rights, and the implications of participation before proceeding;
• emphasizing the mediator's responsibility to ensure fairness and equity in the mediation process;
• and providing mediators with tools and frameworks for ethical decision-making, including identifying and resolving ethical dilemmas that may arise during mediation.

This training was a part of MAG's target grant from the Program. The grant activities include the knowledge-sharing initiatives, ongoing professional development for mediators, and supporting court-annexed mediation efforts.