Lawyer Monthly - October 2023

5. E-learning platforms: E-learning platforms can offer training modules on climate science, international environmental treaties and cultural nuances, equipping mediators and parties with the requisite knowledge. 6.Social media and stakeholder engagement: Platforms like X (Twitter), Facebook and LinkedIn can be used to gather stakeholder opinions, crowdsource ideas, or disseminate information about ongoing mediation processes. This can be especially important for large-scale disputes that involve community rights or public interests. 7.Digital surveys and feedback mechanisms: Post-mediation feedback is invaluable for refining ADR processes. Digital surveys can offer insights into what worked, what did not, and how the process can be improved. This iterative feedback loop ensures ADR methodologies evolve with changing climate dynamics. 8. Collaboration tools: Software like Slack or Microsoft Teams can facilitate real-time communication among mediation teams, allowing them to share resources, coordinate strategies and update each other on progress. This can be particularly useful for complex, multistakeholder mediations. Technology offers a range of tools to make mediation and ADR processes more efficient, transparent, and adaptive. Is there anything else that you would like to say on the subject of climate change and the mediation landscape? The challenge of climate change underscores the intertwined destinies of nations and communities. As the planet warms, disputes are set to increase, making the role of mediation ever more crucial. Mediation practices and conflict engagement process design need to develop to address existential problems on a global scale. In this context, consensus building and collaboration emerge as imperatives for survival. However, the path is not straightforward. Amidst increasing geopolitical pressures and tensions, where national interests often collide, crafting a shared vision becomes challenging. Yet it is this very friction that underscores the need for skilled mediation. The stakes of climate change are unparalleled, demanding that nations rise above transient politics and engage in genuine dialogue. Mediators equipped with the right tools and mindset can help navigate these treacherous waters, facilitating conversations that prioritise our shared human legacy. In an era of increasing divisions, the challenge of climate change offers a chance to reaffirm our shared commitment to the planet and to each other. Mediation, by fostering consensus and collaboration, becomes a beacon of hope in this global endeavour. EXPERT INSIGHT 57 About Paul Sills Paul Sills is a leading independent international arbitrator and mediator with over 27 years of litigation experience, often involving multi-parties and complex commercial issues. His arbitration and mediation practices reflect this experience, as he is frequently called on to either determine or help resolve complex multi-party disputes. Paul also teaches International Commercial Arbitration in the LLM programme at the University of Westminster and was named by WWL as a Global Leader in mediation in 2022 and 2023. About Arbitra International Arbitra International is a global organisation that assists lawyers, GCs and party-appointed tribunal in finding the right arbitrator or mediator. A member organisation for leading independent arbitrators, mediators, adjudicators and dispute board members, Arbitra provides next-generation arbitrator support services geared towards complex and challenging disputes. Contact Paul Sills Arbitrator & Mediator Arbitra International 100 St Paul’s Churchyard, London, EC4M 8BU, UK Tel: +44 02079 367070 E: paul.sills@paullsills.co.nz www.arbitra.co.uk Mediation practices and conflict engagement process design need to develop to address existential problems on a global scale.

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