Islamabad, – Through the European Union (EU) funded €20 million ‘Deliver Justice Programme,’ the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has partnered with the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA) to bring in experts from the Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) to conduct a week-long accreditation workshop on mediation for 24 high court and district court judges from across the country, 8 of them are women.
The workshop aims to support the FJA and the Supreme Court in promoting mediation in civil and commercial cases to reduce case pendency and improve access to justice for all in Pakistan where the judiciary faces the challenge of a huge case backlog. According to a report by Dawn News, data from 2022 reveals a backlog of 2,144,318 cases: 51,766 in the Supreme Court, 337,605 in the provincial high courts, and 1,754,947 cases in the district courts. Amidst this, mediation can play an important role as an affordable and efficient alternative dispute resolution mechanism to expedite justice.
Underlining the importance of mediation, Hon. Justice Mansoor Ali Shah, Supreme Court of Pakistan, in his address, said, “Alternative Dispute Resolution is the future of Pakistan. It is the best solution to rising pendency. It will drastically and tremendously reduce our pendency.” Showing his unwavering commitment to Alternative Dispute Resolution, his lordship added, “Court annexed Alternative Dispute Resolution Model is a safe model to start with and we must focus on it.”
This mediator accreditation workshop marks the ongoing and fruitful collaboration between the EU, UNDP, and FJA to promote court-annexed mediation for both civil and commercial issues in Pakistan.
Mr. Jeroen Willems, Head of Cooperation, EU Delegation to Pakistan, took the opportunity to emphasize, “The EU is committed to supporting Pakistan to ease the backlog of over 2.4 million cases and improve access to justice. Today’s accredited training, the court-annexed mediation centers supported by the EU in Balochistan, and the training provided to the Dispute Resolution Councils in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, are but a few examples of our work on piloting alternative dispute resolution activities across Pakistan. As we have seen in other countries, such EU investments in alternative dispute resolutions will ultimately enable easier access to justice and faster case dispensation.”
Signifying the importance of accredited mediation, Mr. Chuan Wee Meng, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC), added, “Mediation plays a crucial role in resolving disputes efficiently and cost-effectively while reducing judicial burdens and preserving relationships. This workshop marks a significant step toward sustainable dispute resolution, ensuring timely, affordable justice and stronger relationships in the region.”
Talking about this partnership, Mr. Hayat Ali Shah, Director General, FJA, said, “This workshop is a crucial step towards developing the judges’ capacity to improve the delivery of justice in Pakistan. With the EU and UNDP as our partners, we remain committed to serving justice to the people of Pakistan.”
To further complement these efforts, under the EU-funded 20 million Euro ‘Deliver Justice Programme’, UNDP supported the rebuilding and refurbishment of five mediation centers in Balochistan across the five districts of Pishin, Hub, Khuzdar, Loralai, and Sariab. In addition to this, UNDP partnered with Sindh Judicial Academy to train 25 judges (five of whom were women) from various districts in Balochistan on mediation. In 2025, UNDP will establish three more mediation centers in Balochistan’s Zhob, Uthal, and Ziarat districts under the same EU-funded programme.
Since November 2024, the newly renovated Sariab Mediation Centre has been used to resolve over 40 cases, primarily related to domestic disputes, with each case taking an average time of 2-3 weeks for resolution, while the Pishin Mediation Centre has settled 61 cases in its first 25 days.
Ms. Van Nguyen, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Pakistan, shared, “We are hopeful that the partnership between UNDP, FJA, and the EU to advance the Supreme Court’s efforts to promote alternative mediation pathways for civil and commercial cases will decongest the court system, and ensure affordable, dignified, and timely access to justice for all.”