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OSCE in Bishkek hosts meeting on dispute resolution for small enterprises
BISHKEK 12 November 2003
BISHKEK, 12 November 2003 - More than 70 participants from Central Asia took part in an OSCE Conference in the Kyrgyz capital, dealing with the importance of dispute resolution in the creation of a favourable business environment for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the region.
The forum's objective was to discuss what role dispute resolution mechanisms might play as an incentive for SMEs to enter into the market and promote the establishment of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms at both national and regional levels.
The Regional Conference on Dispute Resolution as an Instrument to Facilitate SME Operations in the Business Environment was organized by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, in co-operation with the Secretariat of the Special Representative of the Kyrgyz President on Foreign Investment.
Representatives of government bodies, parliaments, business circles, Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Courts of Arbitration, banking and the insurance sectors from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan took part in the two-day event, which ended yesterday.
Two international experts briefed participants on the development of international commercial arbitration and legal analyses of different international conventions on dispute resolution. They also highlighted the experiences of CIS and EU countries.
Participants stressed the importance of access to dispute-resolution systems, which investors believe to be efficient and impartial, for the economic development of the Central Asian states with transitional economies. Main priorities they identified were to establish a Regional Information Centre and a library on arbitration, and building capacities of local judges, experts and arbitrators on commercial dispute resolution by providing training and educational programmes.
The outcome of the conference will be reported to the First Preparatory Seminar for the 12th OSCE Economic Forum: Supporting the Development of SMEs, to be held in Yerevan, Armenia, on 17 and 18 November 2003.
The Conference was co-financed by the U.S. and Finnish governments.
The forum's objective was to discuss what role dispute resolution mechanisms might play as an incentive for SMEs to enter into the market and promote the establishment of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms at both national and regional levels.
The Regional Conference on Dispute Resolution as an Instrument to Facilitate SME Operations in the Business Environment was organized by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, in co-operation with the Secretariat of the Special Representative of the Kyrgyz President on Foreign Investment.
Representatives of government bodies, parliaments, business circles, Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Courts of Arbitration, banking and the insurance sectors from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan took part in the two-day event, which ended yesterday.
Two international experts briefed participants on the development of international commercial arbitration and legal analyses of different international conventions on dispute resolution. They also highlighted the experiences of CIS and EU countries.
Participants stressed the importance of access to dispute-resolution systems, which investors believe to be efficient and impartial, for the economic development of the Central Asian states with transitional economies. Main priorities they identified were to establish a Regional Information Centre and a library on arbitration, and building capacities of local judges, experts and arbitrators on commercial dispute resolution by providing training and educational programmes.
The outcome of the conference will be reported to the First Preparatory Seminar for the 12th OSCE Economic Forum: Supporting the Development of SMEs, to be held in Yerevan, Armenia, on 17 and 18 November 2003.
The Conference was co-financed by the U.S. and Finnish governments.