Is mediation a viable option for resolving international disputes?

Seminar paper from the year 2009 in the subject Law - Miscellaneous, grade: A3, University of Abertay Dundee (Centre for energy, petroleum and mineral law and policy), language: English, abstract: With high cost and negative publicity associated with litigation, mediation has been embraced as a popular means of resolving local disputes. In the international sphere however, arbitration seems to be the preferred option for solving disputes. Due to the fact that arbitration is an expensive process, there is need for a viable alternative for resolving disputes without the adversarial nature of litigation and arbitration, but with the involvement of a neutral third party, the mediator. This paper will discuss what mediation means and how the mediation process works. The issue of relevance of mediation to international disputes will be explored. An attempt will be made to argue that mediation is better than arbitration in resolving international disputes. The conclusion will highlight the limits of the mediation process