Inter-Ministerial Meetings between the Governments of Angola, Botswana and Namibia on the Management of the Okavango River Basin - Collaborative Planning and Conflict Management for Trans-Boundary Water Basin Commissions. CDR designed and facilitated a multi-day inter-ministerial meeting for Ministers from Angola, Botswana and Namibia concerning the management of the shared Okavango River. The meeting was also attended by Commissioners and staff from the Okavango River Basin Commission, the international organization assigned to jointly manage the river. The meetings explored the use of collaborative planning and cooperative dispute resolution procedures to address international integrated water management issues and disputes, informed Ministers regarding the work of the Commission, and defined issues to be addressed in the future. The meeting was sponsored by the US State Department, USAID and the US Bureau of Reclamation.
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Governance and Public Administration Branch (Kampala, Uganda) - Developing and Sustaining Conflict Management Systems as Instruments of Governance. CDR Associates, in collaboration with a team of African conflict management consultants, designed an executive seminar for high level governmental and civil society leaders on the development and use of conflict resolution systems in governance. New systems, or enhancement of traditional African procedures, will help governments better manage and resolve a wide range of political, economic, social, ethnic and religious conflicts through good governance in the executive, legislative and judicial branches and collaboration with civil society structures. Trinational Mediation and Arbitration Working Group, NAFTA (Mexico City, Mexico) Tri-National Dispute Resolution System Design. CDR, under contract to the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, provided consulting and facilitation services to a subcommittee representing government agencies and industry representatives from Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The committee was charged with developing dispute resolution services applicable across all three countries in the fruit and vegetable trade. CDR colleagues researched existing systems in the three nations, facilitated initial discussions among subcommittee members, drafted an initial proposal and facilitated discussions regarding the final shape of the proposed dispute resolution system and services.