About AIA

The Association for International Arbitration (AIA) is a non-profit organization open to all those interested in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), irrespective of nationality and level of experience. Since its creation in 2001, AIA strives to bring together the global community in the field of ADR and to promote ADR. AIA also regularly organises conferences and seminars on the wide range of ADR issues in Belgium and we are actively involved in the organisation of various educational events internationally. Moreover, we organise tailored trainings on ADR topics.

In summary, the AIA does not itself decide disputes. The function of AIA is to provide information concerning arbitration and mediation matters, to support members of the AIA. This for example by assisting with negotiations, assisting with developing an ADR institute. AIA wants to improve the quality of ADR in several ways and to promote ADR in general. This can for example by done by assisting in creating new regulations for ADR.

In addition, AIA encourages and promotes scholarship and publication in the field of ADR. For example, we invite our members and, in particular, young practitioners to submit their works for publication in our monthly newsletter ‘In Touch’. The newsletter provides more than 25,000 practitioners and academics worldwide with the latest updates on developments in the field of ADR. In addition, represents compilation of papers presented at the AIA’s conferences organised at least twice a year and serves to enhance the knowledge and understanding of ADR.

The AIA’s training and educational activities include the European Mediation Training for Practitioners of Justice (EMTPJ) which was launched in 2010 following a grant provided by the European Commission and a Qualifying Assessment Program (QAP) for mediators under the International Mediation Institute (IMI). The EMTPJ is a multicultural two-week training course which meets the different mediation criteria in EU member states and in a number of non-EU jurisdictions. It thus enables successful participants to obtain appointments as mediators both within and outside Europe. It is open to all. On the other hand, the Association’s Qualifying Assessment Program approved by IMI gives experienced mediators with at least 200 hours mediation experience and 20 mediation cases the opportunity to become an IMI certified mediator with the online profile fully searchable freely though the IMI’s open search engine.

AIA collaborates with the ADR institutions throughout the world. For example, we are actively involved in mediation through the European Network of Mediation Centres. The Network aims at the sharing of information and good practices in order to promote the use of mediation, to increase the quality of mediation and mediators and to enhance general public awareness to choose ADR as a method to resolve disputes on both domestic and international level.

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