Meeting with Victor Schachter on Jan 18th, 2019 on Development of Mediation & ADR in Vietnam

On January 18th, 2019, ANT Lawyers’ representatives Mr. Tuan Nguyen, and Ms. Thuy Do received Mr. Victor Schachter – the Founder and the President of The Foundation for Sustainable Rule of Law Initiatives (FSRI) at ANT Office Building, A9 Xuan Phuong Garden, Tran Huu Duc Street, Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi. FSRI is a non-governmental organization which provides training, education and counseling to a range of legal providers in developing countries, including courts, judges, lawyers and mediators, with the goal of building sustainable mediation programs which achieve timely, fair and peaceful resolution of disputes.

At the meeting, Mr. Schachter emphasized the importance of mediation: “More and more big companies have been using mediation to win-win solution, they don’t want to destroy their relationship to resolve their problems”, which has been seriously taken note by Mr. Nguyen.

On the occasion of Mr Schachter’s visit, he has been informed by Mr Nguyen about the newly set up mediation center in Vietnam, the Vietnam Effective Commercial Mediation Center (VEMC) which license has been granted by Ministry of Justice in 2018. Mr Schachter spent time to visit the mediation facility including the training room, mediation rooms for joint meeting and private meeting and suggested some modifications according to his experience from the US’s mediation practice. VEMC will operate under the Decree No. 22/2017/ND-CP dated on February 24th, 2017 of the Government on Trade Mediation. This is the fifth mediation center of Vietnam established and operated since the Decree No. 22/2017/ND-CP officially took effect.

Since 2012, Mr Tuan Nguyen has been made aware of mediation and its benefits. He has been attending many training since and most recently been accredited by CEDR and Ministry of Justice as mediator.

Recognizing the rise in number and complexity in commercial dispute, the 2015 Civil Procedure Code has a new chapter on recognizing mediation. In February 2017, the Government issued Decree 22/2017/ND-CP officially legalizing commercial mediation. In addition, the Vietnam Government also has been focusing on developing mediation as alternative dispute resolution by piloting court-annexed mediation centers in Hai Phong and expanding to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Bac Ninh, Khanh Hoa, Long An. The results and experience of the project will be an important basis for developing and promulgating the Law on Mediation and Dialogue at the Court. A written record of successful mediation results shall be recognized and enforced in accordance with the civil procedure law. This is an advantage of mediation activity in Vietnam to encourage parties to participate in resolving trade disputes by mediation.

End the end of the meeting, both Mr Schachter and Mr Nguyen promised to continue working on initiative to promote mediation and ADR service in Vietnam through training, conferences and technical assistance.