OSCE Mission to Montenegro trains future mediators in resolving family disputes

The OSCE Mission to Montenegro, in co-operation with the Centre for Mediation, concluded a four-day training course for a new group of 20 mediators in family disputes on 2 November 2017 in Podgorica as part of its activities to support the government in judicial reform.

The training course, which included role play and practical exercises, covered the different types of alternative dispute resolution; the definition and basic principles of mediation; procedures; the necessary knowledge and skills for successful mediation; and how to assess cases for their suitability for mediation.

The course was conducted in accordance with the Rulebook on the Training Programme for Mediators, which has been adopted by the Ministry of Justice.

“Alternative dispute resolution is very important and is foreseen by a great number of European Union directives as one of the key ways of ensuring access to justice,” said one of the trainers, Gordana Ristin, who is a judge at the High Court in Ljubljana and head of the court’s department for alternative dispute resolution. “In mediation there are no losers; conflict is an integral part of life and mediation helps to overcome such situations.”

After completing the course and successfully passing a test on the skills and knowledge learnt, trainees will be nominated as mediators by the Ministry of Justice and their names will be added to the list of mediators, which is held by courts and prosecution offices.