International Mediation Summit 2017 | Signing Ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) and the Cooperation Agreement between Bar Council’s Malaysian Mediation Centre and China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT)
The International Mediation Summit 2017 was hosted and organised by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and Hangzhou Municipal Government on 18-19 September 2017 at the Hangzhou Marriott Hotel.
Malaysian Mediation Centre signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Mediation Centre of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade/China Chamber of International Commerce (CCPIT/CCOIC Mediation Center) on 19th September 2017 amidst much fanfare at the International Mediation Summit 2017, held at Hangzhou, China to promote international mediation services to resolve the disputes that may arise in cross-border commercial transactions under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The Malaysian delegation was led by the President of the Malaysian Bar, George Varughese; and includes the Co-Chairperson of the Bar Council Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, Nachammai Kumarappan Chettiar; and members of the Committee, Christine Khor Meow Wei, Shanti Abraham and Serene Ong Si-Oui.
The MOU and the Cooperation Agreement was signed by Mr. George Varughese and Li Jianning, the Director-General of the CCPIT Commercial Legal Services Centre.
As part of the partnership, the Malaysia-China Business Mediation Centre (“MCBMC”) will be jointly set up by the representative mediation bodies in the two countries, namely CCPIT Mediation Center and BC MMC. The establishment of the Malaysia-China Business Mediation Centre is an immediate implementation of the first step in materialising the formation of the dispute resolution centre under the Belt and Road Initiative. Malaysia is the second Asian country which formed the joint mediation centre at governmental level with China, after Hong Kong.
Mr. George Varughese delivered congratulatory remarks at the opening ceremony and also took the opportunity to highlight the close ties between Malaysia and China which was forged 600 years ago during the Malacca Sultanate, in his speech. Mr. George Varughese reiterated that Malaysia has always been a consistent supporter of the Belt and Road Initiative.
Prominent speakers from different parts of the world such as the United States of America, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Malaysia and etc engaged in in-depth discussions in regards to the present dispute resolution methods for cross-border transactions and the fast development of online dispute resolutions (ODR).
Christine Khor and Shanti Abraham spoke during 2 sessions during the Summit focusing on the opportunities and benefits of Mediation in the Belt and Road initiative and the prospect of Mediation during Arbitration, respectively.
An important update that was noted at the Summit is that ODR was recognised as a growing trend in China, after the success of the pilot project in launching its first Internet Court in Hangzhou. The Internet Court has been in operation for a year now.
The Malaysian Mediation Centre delegation was warmed by the hospitality shown by the CCPIT.