Mediation is taking an increasingly strong place in the legal culture of Montenegro, which is confirmed by the strong growth of trust among citizens and businesses in this institute through the continuous increase in the number of cases, said the executive director of the Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Maja Golović Vojinović.
As announced by the Center, an annual conference of mediators was held in Podgorica today, dedicated to strengthening the culture of dialogue and promoting mediation, which brought together representatives of the judiciary, business, academia, international organizations and professionals in the field of mediation.
The conference conveyed that mediation is one of the noblest and most effective ways of resolving disputes through a process that is based on trust, understanding, and the willingness of the parties to find sustainable solutions together.
Golović Vojinović emphasized that mediation is taking an increasingly stronger place in the legal culture of Montenegro every year.
This, she added, confirms the strong growth of trust among citizens and businesses in this institute through the continuous increase in the number of cases, with around 15 thousand mediation proposals submitted in the past two years.
"At the heart of every legal order is the need for efficient, fair and sustainable protection of rights. However, modern legal systems, including ours, face the challenges of overload, lengthy procedures and rising costs," said Golović Vojinović.
According to her, mediation achieves faster, more humane and constructive resolution of disputes.
She said that the Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution is dedicated to promoting that institute in various areas, as well as to intensively improving the quality of services, through the development of training and strengthening the capacities of mediators.
Golović Vojinović said that the Center has been conducting advanced training for mediators, which will be continued, with the aim of improving their knowledge and skills.
She emphasized that the past period was marked by intensive promotion of business mediation, strengthening of international cooperation, including the Memorandum with the AIRE Center, partnership with GIZ, and signing of a Memorandum with the Ministry of Economic Development.
Golović Vojinović also pointed to cooperation with the Ministry of Justice in the area of digitalization of the Center and connecting it to a single information system with judicial authorities.
She emphasized that mediation is becoming an increasingly strong pillar of modern justice, and the Center is a key player in its development.
"Our goal is a legal system in which we further develop mediation as a powerful instrument of modern justice and to build a system together in which dialogue and agreement are equally valued, just like the court's verdict," said Golović Vojinović.
State Secretary at the Ministry of Justice Sergej Sekulović emphasized that the development of mediation is one of the Ministry's strategic priorities.
He recalled that the Law on Alternative Dispute Resolution was amended and improved this year, creating better conditions for a more accessible, efficient and predictable procedure.
"It is encouraging that an increasing number of citizens, business people and institutions recognize mediation as a faster, more efficient and more accessible alternative to court proceedings," said Sekulović.
He said that the two-year Alternative Dispute Resolution Development Program 2023-2025 has been implemented and that the final report on the implementation of that program provides key recommendations that should guide the further improvement of mediation procedures.
"In the coming period, we should analyze the needs and possibilities of introducing mediation in certain administrative areas, consider developing manuals that would facilitate the application of this institute, and work on more intensive training of mediators and their improvement, but not only them, but also on the education of judicial institutions, who are key partners in this process," Sekulović added.
He emphasized that mediation represents not only an alternative to court proceedings, but also a cultural change in the approach to conflict resolution, a change that leads to greater public trust in the legal system and relief for the courts.
"Our goal is not just the existence of a stable legal framework, but the real, broad and everyday application of mediation as an active instrument of justice. We want a society in which conflicts are resolved reasonably and constructively, and the legal system is based on efficiency, trust and cooperation," said Sekulović.
According to him, mediation is not just a form of procedure.
"It is a cultural and social change in mindset, a call for dialogue instead of conflict, for cooperation instead of confrontation. The Ministry of Justice remains firmly committed to supporting and further strengthening this change," said Sekulović.
He emphasized that the Ministry of Justice provides full support to the Center, whose role is crucial in organizing proceedings, professionalizing mediators, improving the quality of services, and further promoting mediation as a reliable and efficient mechanism for resolving disputes.
The statement states that the strong message from international partners confirmed that Montenegro occupies an important place on the regional and European map of alternative dispute resolution.
The Program Director of the AIRE Center for the Western Balkans, Biljana Braithwaite, emphasized that the cooperation between the Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution and the AIRE Center will be further strengthened and that, in accordance with the signed Memorandum of Cooperation, activities aimed at improving mediation and alternative dispute resolution in Montenegro will be jointly implemented.
The representative of the Center for Peaceful Dispute Resolution of Croatia, Anita Habuš, emphasized the value of regional networking and announced the implementation of joint trainings for Montenegrin and Croatian mediators, aimed at improving professional standards.
The Executive Director of the International Mediation Center, Ivana Ninčić Osterle, praised the efforts that the Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution is making to promote and affirm mediation, emphasizing that international support and cooperation are an important pillar of the development of this institute in Montenegro.
"The annual conference of mediators concluded with the message that the success of mediation is based on the teamwork of institutions, professionals and international partners," the statement said.
It was emphasized, as stated, that mediation, as part of a shared vision of modern justice, remains one of the key instruments for strengthening the culture of dialogue, trust and constructive dispute resolution.
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