Daniel Owusu-Koranteng
PRESIDENT OF the Ghana National Association of Alternative Disputes Resolution Practitioners (GNAAP), Daniel Owusu-Koranteng, has called on the government to establish an ADR Centre as provided in Section 115 (1) of the Alternative Disputes Resolution Act 798, 2010.
He made the appeal at the 2022 Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Workshop (MCPDW) in Accra under the theme, “Practical Approaches To ADR Practice.”
According to Mr. Koranteng, with the increasing effectiveness of ADR as an important tool for the speedy, peaceful, and cost-effective resolution of cases through the Court-Connected ADR system, the government should promote ADR practice in Ghana through the support for training of ADR professionals, creation of facilities for ADR practice and providing adequate remunerations to ADR practitioners.
This, according to him, would attract and retain a high calibre of ADR professionals for Court-Connected ADR practice.
“The call is for government to invest in the development of facilities for the promotion of ADR for Ghana to become the ADR Hub for Africa because, Ghana is well known globally for its contribution to peacebuilding in the West Africa sub-region, Africa and at the global front,” he underscored.
He further announced GNAAP’s readiness to partner with the state agencies that were required to use ADR tools in the performance of their functions such as Land Commissions, National Labour Commission, Ghana Investment Promotion, Judiciary Services, Legal Aid Commission, Department of Social Welfare, Ghana Police and DOVVSU Department.
Induction Of PEMADR/GPS
Some 39 students graduated with Professional Executive Masters in Alternative Disputes Resolution (PEMADR) while 6 students graduated in General Paralegal Studies (GPS). These 45 graduates were inducted into the ADR and the paralegal fraternity after completing 12 weeks online and 20 weeks of weekend classes in acquiring knowledge in the ADR and Paralegal studies.
Speaking at the induction ceremony, Her Worship (Rtd) Johanna Abena Yankson congratulated the graduates for their zeal and willingness in learning the ADR and Paralegal profession.
She also indicated that the new ADR/Paralegal practitioners were neither lawyers nor judges adding, “Always remember the ethics of the practice that you were taught and aspire for high integrity.”
GNAAP is a regulatory body of ADR professionals (mediators, arbitrators, negotiators, conciliators, customary arbitrators, etc.,) in Ghana incorporated under the Companies Code, 1963 (Act 179) as amended in the Companies Act, 2019 (Act 992), as a private company limited by guarantee, on 27th May 2014.
Members of GNAAP are people from diverse backgrounds including lawyers, chiefs, queen mothers, Members of Parliament, business executives, teachers, engineers, security experts, etc.
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke