Professor Marike Paulsson, Vice Chairperson of the Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution and Secretary-General of the Council for International Dispute Resolution of the Kingdom of Bahrain, participated in the Riyadh International Dispute Resolution Week (RIDW25), held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from February 23-27, under the theme "Managing International Commercial Relations: Legal Reforms, Business Strategies, Expertise, Ethics, and Conflicts of Interest in Dispute Resolution." The forum brought together a number of international experts and specialists in the field of dispute resolution.
On the occasion of the RIDW25, The International Dispute Resolution Council of the Kingdom of Bahrain hosted its inaugural roundtable since its establishment. The session featured a distinguished panel of global experts in dispute resolution and was moderated by the Council's Secretary-General. Professor Paulsson engaged in a rich dialogue with Martina Polasek, Secretary-General of the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), Tom Sikora of ExxonMobil and Ken Hyatt of the Harvard Negotiation Project.
While deliberations by states are ongoing at the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, the Council announced reform proposals mapping out a way to launch dispute prevention and mediation in the region and beyond. The Council has already received support from stakeholders in India and Saudi Arabia and will establish a task force with thought leaders to develop the reforms, reflecting the Council's commitment to supporting global efforts to develop dispute resolution mechanisms and enhance the international investment environment.
In a celebratory conclusion to the event, the Secretary-General of ICSID added the final touches to a commemorative artwork by the renowned Bahraini artist Abbas Almosawi, marking the establishment of the International Dispute Resolution Council.