UNCITRAL ODR Working Group Meeting In Progress

The first meeting of the UNCITRAL ODR Working Group kicked off today at the UN Center in Vienna. The full agenda for the 5 day meeting is here, and the Secretariat Note is available here. From the Note:

"Research and experimentation with ODR indicate that the availability of dispute resolution which is faster than regular litigation or ADR may motivate parties to use ODR. If offered the opportunity to resolve their disputes without the need to travel and with the help of rapid electronic communications, parties may become more willing to embrace ODR. Since the speed of proceedings is a key motivating factor, it seems reasonable to consider tailoring the legal framework for ODR to promote this aspect." (page 23)

This is the best opportunity we've had in a decade to get input from every corner of the globe on the viability of global ODR. We will be sure to report the outcomes of this gathering at the half-day workshop on progress at UNCITRAL being held on February 9th in Chennai as part of the ODR Working Group Meeting.