Florence, 5-7 May 2016 – In addition to institutions and academic world, another Europe meets in Florence during The State of the Union 2016: that of enterprises and of international mediation professionals. The city that in the Middle Age used routinely mediators’ figures for the resolution of disputes has now become a reference point for the composition of international trade disputes. For this reason FIMC, Florence International Mediation Chamber, the international mediation service with the highest quality standards for citizens and businesses promoted by the Chamber of Commerce of Florence, is partner of #SOU2016, the event run by the European University Institute.
«Aware that the slow civil justice procedures are a constant brake for the economy, mediation is increasingly important because it allows to appropriately and conveniently manage international trade conflicts, being able to encourage dialogue even where the national regulations are not coherent – says Leonardo Bassilichi, president of the Chamber of Commerce of Florence -. Florence, considered the city of dialogue for its institutional and economic history, believes in international mediation and wants to invest in sharing & integration, essential conditions for present time’s economic growth and management of social problems, one of the main topics at The State of The Union 2016».
FIMC, established in May 2015, is the first and only service targeted on multinationals, while the Chamber of Commerce of Florence is the first Italian public body to have created a dedicated structure only for international mediation. All the FIMC mediators are acknowledged by IMI (International Mediation Institute) which certifies their excellence. In addition, to reiterate the structure’s international approach, FIMC signed two memoranda of understanding with AAA/ICDR (American Arbitration Association/International Centre for Dispute Resolution) and ISCM (International Singapore Mediation Centre).
The high significance conveyed by the Chamber of Commerce of Florence to the resolution of disputes is also confirmed by the expertise gained in international arbitration, testified by the Unitary Arbitration Chamber, the first in Italy that brings together a public body with professional associations of the legal-economic sector (lawyers, notaries, economic consultants) of the territory.
To help the widespread diffusion of the mediation culture, FIMC will take to Florence the global initiative organized by IMI the Global Pound Conference Series 2016-2017: shaping the future of dispute resolution and improving access to justice (www.globalpoundconference.org), which is part of a series of conferences to be held in major cities of the world and where the key issues of justice, through an innovative digital platform, will be discussed and voted. The conference in Florence, the only Italian involved city, is scheduled in May 2017.
Finally, FIMC participates as observer in the Working Group II of UNCITRAL (United Nations Commission for International Trade Law), with the aim of developing specific tools to provide enforceability to the agreements which are sealed thanks to international mediation procedures. In the last session, held in New York from 1 to 5 February 2016, tangible cases of local anonymous entrepreneurs who testified that mediation has resolved disputes otherwise hardly to be managed, have been presented.
More information about FIMC at www.fimcmediation.com web and social media by following the Twitter profiles and Facebook @fimcmediation www.facebook.com/fimcmediation