The Good Business Foundation (GBF) and Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CACCI) have recently announced that they are Principal Partners of the 7th annual Asia-Pacific Commercial Mediation Competition (APCMC). The APCMC is co-hosted by the Australian Disputes Centre and the International Chamber of Commerce. This year, the competition will be held online from 26 – 28 August 2023.

An initiative of Peter McMullin AM in 2018, the APCMC reflects the objectives and the values of GBF and CACCI and creates a unique opportunity for university students to practice their negotiation skills in a commercial mediation setting; an essential area of dispute resolution in international commercial law.

The APCMC seeks to empower tomorrow’s business leaders and legal minds, equipping them with skills to better meet the dispute resolution needs of international commerce in an expanding and increasingly complex marketplace. Through this competition, students learn to effectively combine the use of negotiation strategies, mediation and collaborative problem-solving skills to successfully represent their client’s interests and seek settlement.

The Competition acts as a regional preliminary round to the ICC International Commercial Mediation Competition, held annually at the ICC Global Headquarters in Paris, France. There is a cash prize and reserved place in the prestigious Paris Competition 2023 for the winning team from the ADC-ICC regional event. In addition, all finalists and prize winners are eligible for an internship opportunity with the Australian Disputes Centre to further their learning.

The aims of the Competition are to:

1. Create an exceptional opportunity for students to showcase their negotiation skills in a commercial mediation environment.
2. Develop students’ skills in collaborative commercial problem solving, analytical judgement and persuasion.
3. Connect aspiring students to strong professional networks.

Teams are drawn from leading Universities in Australia, Asia, the South Pacific, Africa, Middle East and the Americas, with support provided by international mediators and lawyers who volunteer to support the students’ learning.

We warmly welcome University teams and professional volunteers from across the CACCI region to participate in this international competition.

For student participants, the competition is open to all undergraduate Business, Law and Social Science students and are under 30 years of age. More information can be found HERE.

APCMC participants can expect:

• A chance to win a reserved place to compete in the 19th Annual ICC Mediation Competition in 2024, the world’s largest moot exclusively devoted to international commercial mediation
• A cash prize for the winning team
• Internship opportunities for all APCMC award winners
• Access to a series of live webinars presented by leading practitioners on negotiation, mediation and the importance of wellness to prepare our APCMC participants for the competition ahead
• Invitation to numerous exciting networking events to meet other students and ADR professionals
• The opportunity to make connections both locally and internationally
• Direction and feedback from distinguished judges and mentors to improve students’ negotiation skills in the context of a mediation that is mediated by a professional mediator
• The opportunity to participate in multiple networking and fun activities such as the Impromptu Speech Competition!

Intrigued to see the competition in action? You can watch the APCMC 2022 Grand Final at the APCMC website HERE.

Teams comprise of 2 – 4 university students, and your university may enter more than one team, competition rules are available HERE.

If you are interested in being a part of this fantastic educational opportunity, please Register HERE.