The Various forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in International Commercial Disputes

Alternative dispute resolution, usually referred to by the acronym ADR, is the focus ofgrowing interest in the business world, and particularly the international business world. Contractdrafters are continuously inventing new ADR procedures, most of which are derived from, or inspiredby mediation, although in fact this is only one type of alternative dispute resolution. There is no doubtthat ADR has emerged out of practice. At present, there is a very broad range of alternative means ofdispute resolution used in equally broad array of circumstances. An exhaustive list of different typesof ADR cannot be drawn because ADR lends itself to numerous derivatives consisting ofcombinations of common types. Of all the ADR types, mediation is the most traditional and the mostcentral, around which all the other derivatives gravitate.