Developing a culture of peaceful dispute resolution

During the 2023 Mediation Week, International Conflict Resolution Day was celebrated, as well as the 20th anniversary of the establishment of a legislative framework for mediation in Croatia.

On the occasion of the this year’s Conflict Resolution Day, the Croatian Mediation Association once again organised a celebration of the Mediation Week to raise awareness of the existence of mediation as a tool for improving communication and resolution of conflicts and disputes in all areas of social life.

At the ceremony held today in Novinarski dom, Zagreb, State Secretary Juro Martinović stated that in the Croatian legal framework for mediation has changed over time with a view to improving the mediation system in Croatia and aligning it with European standards, encouraging peaceful dispute resolution, but also to increase citizens’ trust in the mediation institute and consequently increase the efficiency of the judicial system as a whole. 

Mediation as a way of resolving disputes was first regulated by a special regulation, namely the Mediation Act, in 2003, and twenty years later a new legislative framework was established by the adoption of the Peaceful Dispute Resolution Act, a new law drafted under a reform measure covered by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

This new framework also includes new tools for improving both peaceful dispute resolution system and mediation system.

“The establishment of the Centre for Peaceful Dispute Resolution is one of the milestones that we believe will contribute not only to the popularisation of mediation, but also to fostering the development of a culture of peaceful dispute resolution”, State Secretary Martinović said.

On this occasion, State Secretary Martinović received the award of the Croatian Mediation Association bestowed upon the Ministry of Justice and Public Administration for its contribution to the promotion of peaceful dispute resolution.

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