OSCE Osh Field Office hosts meeting on business dispute resolution in southern Kyrgyzstan

OSH, Kyrgyzstan, 5 October 2005 - Over 50 businessmen and lawyers took part today in an OSCE-sponsored seminar in Osh on alternative dispute resolution mechanisms at the national level.

The event, hosted by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, the International Court of Arbitration (ICA) and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Kyrgyzstan focused on issues such as arbitration clauses and proceedings, the execution of arbitral awards and arbitration fees and expenses.

"Several business opinion surveys conducted in Kyrgyzstan show that current legislation for business is not effective and court decisions are influenced by pressure or money. As a consequence there is little faith in the legal systems. Therefore, the quality and effectiveness of the commercial dispute resolution mechanisms that are available have to be improved," said Jerome Bouyjou, the Head of the OSCE Osh Field Office.

The development of dispute resolution mechanisms deserves special attention in the process of building up the legal infrastructure for business relationships. These mechanisms need to be promoted to ensure a successful transition to a developed market economy.

The Chairman of the ICA in affiliation with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyzstan, Temirbek Kenenbaev, said: "Since the beginning of its operation the International Court of Arbitration has had only 12 clients, therefore there is a need to increase the awareness amongst businesmen and lawyers about the availability of such alternative dispute resolution mechanisms".

As a result of the OSCE initiative on alternative dispute resolution, Kyrgyzstan now has a legally-based, operational institution to ensure proper application of dispute resolution.