On July 11, the USAID-funded Enterprise Development and Market Competitiveness (EDMC) Project and the Ministry of Justice of Armenia signed a letter of intent to implement business-enabling reforms in Armenia and develop the country’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR) system. The ceremony was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern and Minister of Justice Hrayr Tovmasyan.
From July 2013 to December 2014, the parties will jointly implement a range of activities, including a thorough study of the current ADR system. Through the EDMC project, USAID will support the Ministry of Justice in drafting of primary and secondary legislation and conducting public hearings and roundtable discussions with stakeholders. The activities will not only seek to improve the system but also to raise public awareness of the reforms and to build the confidence of the business community in the ADR system.
Following the signing ceremony, the EDMC project will host a high-level conference on July 12, 2013 with the participation of Armenian and American judges. United States federal judges Ricardo Martinez and Robert Lasnik will share the American approach to ADR as an international best practice, and will conduct a mock arbitration and mediation.
