UG School of Law impresses in first appearance at ICC Mediation Contest
The students, Lilyan Boamah, Senam King, Pomaa Oppong Bediako and Edward Adeabah, took part in the 21st edition of the ICC’s international commercial mediation contest and received an Award
A team from the University of Ghana Law School has made history by becoming the country’s first representative at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Mediation Competition in Paris.
The students, Lilyan Boamah, Senam King, Pomaa Oppong Bediako and Edward Adeabah, took part in the 21st edition of the ICC’s international commercial mediation contest and received an Award of Achievement for Distinction for Acknowledgement of Cultural Differences.
The team was supported by a coaching and mentoring group made up of lecturer Rachel Haizel, coach Emmanuella Naa Ashardey Ashely and mentor Nahum Agyepong.
The ICC event, described by organisers as their largest educational programme of the year, brought together 58 universities from 34 countries, alongside mediation professionals from around the world. Participants completed hundreds of simulated mediations at ICC headquarters, testing negotiation, communication and settlement skills in complex commercial disputes.
The University of Auckland won the overall title, with institutions from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas among those competing.
After returning to Ghana, the University of Ghana delegation presented its award to the chairman of ICC Ghana, Sir Sam Jonah, and the Secretary General, Emmanuel Doni-Kwame.
Sir Sam Jonah congratulated the team on its performance and encouraged the students to treat the competition as part of a longer learning curve. He also raised concerns about a fall in the number of male law students, calling for improved gender balance.
Mr Doni-Kwame said ICC Ghana planned to engage the University of Ghana to explore the creation of a national selection competition, aimed at identifying and preparing candidates for future international appearances.
The ICC competition is designed to promote mediation as a practical dispute-resolution tool and to encourage exchanges between students and professionals from different cultures and backgrounds.
The ICC, which has more than a century of experience in international commercial rules and standards, also administers a range of dispute-resolution frameworks, including mediation and arbitration mechanisms used in cross-border business.
