Public officials urged to get skills in dispute resolution

Public officials and others who are in place of authority have been urged to seek for skills in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

President of the Ghana National Association of ADR Practitioners (GNAAP), Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, says “considering the importance of Conflict Resolution skills in the management of people and for the promotion of peace building initiatives in society, it would be very helpful for people that are placed in very responsible positions in our nation, such as Ministers of state, Municipal Chief Executives, District Chief Executives, CEOs of state institutions, Parliamentarians, among others, must receive training in conflict resolution as part of the skill set required for efficient management of people.”

He made the call at the graduation ceremony for 16 professionals who had attained Executive Masters in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Studies and four professionals who had also attained Executive Master in General Paralegal Studies at the Institute of Paralegal Training and Leadership Studies (IPLS).

According to him, an efficient justice system which is accessible to citizens, especially the vulnerable in society, is an essential condition for peace in a country. He noted that people resort to vengeance and self-help vigilante methods which promote lawlessness and reprisals that undermine the peace and stability of the nation if the justice system does not seem helpful.

Evidence

According to him, there is enough evidence to support the fact that the use of ADR tools for conflict resolution achieves quicker resolution of conflicts than the court system, which is adversarial, expensive and time consuming.

“For example, from January to December 2020 out of the 5,455 court connected cases that were referred for ADR, 2,312 of the cases representing 42% of the cases were settled using ADR tools.

“The figures tell the story that ADR holds the key to the building of an efficient judicial system that is tailored to the needs of the people,” he said.

According to Mr Owusu-Koranteng, captains of business have demonstrated their preference for ADR in resolving disputes, adding that many business contracts contain clauses agreed by the parties to use ADR tools to resolve disputes that arise between business partners.

“Likewise, the Labour Laws of our country and globally are based on partnership between Labour and Capital represented by management in the structure of Standing Negotiating Committees and the use of ADR tool of Negotiation to resolve differences and conflicts.

“Business and labour are the two key factors that drive the economy and society and if the two most productive factors have chosen the path of ADR for the resolution of conflicts, then it shows the direction of our justice system for today and the future,” he noted.

Support

He stated that Ghana has a conducive social and cultural environment for the promotion of ADR, saying the country can become an ADR hub in the African region, if attention is given to it.

“ADR is not a new phenomenon for conflict resolution in our society and our people believe in the principles of ADR for effective resolution of conflicts and for peace building.

“The country needs to invest in the building of infrastructure to promote ADR and support institutions such as IPLS for the training of ADR and Paralegal professionals to promote the practice of ADR,” he stated.