The Mediators Association of Georgia (MAG), with the support of the USAID Rule of Law Program, hosted a meeting of mediators to facilitate the exchange of experiences among them. The meeting served to enhance their professional growth and develop mediation practice in Georgia.

In his welcome remarks, MAG Chairman Irakli Kandashvili stressed the importance of experience sharing between colleagues and especially with the new members of MAG, who need guidance on many day-to-day aspects of a mediation practice. He reported that MAG gained thirty-five new members during the last five months and that forty more are interested in joining the profession. As the number of new members grows, it is important to have platforms such as the June 3 meeting where MAG’s members can share their accumulated professional practice.

Elene Orjonikidze, Tbilisi City Court Mediation Center Coordinator, and Natia Chitashvili, Mtskheta Regional Court Mediation Center Coordinator (both certified court mediators), facilitated the meeting. They talked about the practices at their centers and the challenges they face in their work. Archil Tsertsvadze, a representative of the Georgian Insurance Association (GIA) and a mediator specialized in insurance issues, shared his experience from private mediation cases. He said that the parties to insurance agreements usually include mediation as a means of dispute resolution and quarterly the GIA gets around 200-300 cases. Mr. Tsertsvadze stressed that only a few clients eventually go to court and that the satisfaction of mediation users is around 90%.

Twenty-one mediators attended the meeting. The lively session transitioned into an interactive question-and-answer format, enabling participants to get information on topics of interest. The topics discussed included: the peculiarities of private and court mediation, obstacles encountered during the enforcement phase and possible solutions, and the complexities of co-mediation. The participants also engaged in a discussion concerning the further improvement of the third stage of the mediators' certification program.

MAG regularly organizes such gatherings, recognizing the importance of experience sharing and open dialogues in strengthening the mediation institute. These meetings foster an environment where challenges are openly discussed, paving the way for the continuous improvement and development of mediation practices in Georgia.