Whether the and‘Aand’ stands for and‘appropriateand’, and‘amicableand’, or and‘alternativeand’, all out of court dispute resolution modes, collected under the banner term and‘ADRand’, aim to assist the business world in overcoming relational differences in a truly manageable way. The first edition of this book (2006) contributed to a global awareness that ADR is important in its own right, and not simply as a substitute for litigation or arbitration. Now, drawing on a wealth of new sources and developments, including the flourishing of hybrid forms of ADR, the subject matter has been largely augmented and expanded on two fronts: in-depth analysis (both descriptive and comparative) of methodology, expectations and outcomes and extended geographical coverage across all continents. As a result, in this book twenty-nine and‘intertwined but variegatedand’ essays (to use the editorand’s characterization) provide substantial insight in such specific topics as: ADRand’s flexible procedures as controlled by the parties; ADRand’s facilitation of the continuation of relations between the parties; privilege and confidentiality; involvement of non-legal professionals; the identity and the role of the and‘neutraland’ as well as the role of the arbitrator; the implementation of ICC and other international ADR rules; the workings of Dispute Boards and the role of ADR in securing investment and other specific objectives. In its compound thesis and– growing in relevance every day and– that numerous dispute resolution methods exist whose goals and developments are varied but fundamentally complementary, the multifaceted approach presented here is of immeasurable value to any business party, particularly at the international level. Practitioners faced with drafting a dispute resolution clause in a contract, or dealing with a dispute that has arisen, will find expert guidance here, and academics will expand their awareness of the issues raised by ADR, in particular as it relates to arbitration. A broad cross section of interested professionals will discover ample material for comparative study of how disputes are approached and resolved in numerous countries and cultures.

Much of the scholarly and professional literature on development focuses either on the ‘macro’ level of national policies and politics or on the ‘micro’ level of devel- ment projects and household or community socio-economic dynamics. By contrast, this collection pitches itself at the ‘meso’ level with a comparative exploration of the ways in which local institutions – municipalities, local governments, city authorities, civil society networks and others – have demanded, and taken on, a greater role in planning and managing development in the Latin American region. The book’s rich empirical studies reveal that local institutions have engaged upwards, with central authorities, to shape their policy and resource environments and in turn, been pressured from ‘below’ by local actors contesting the ways in which the structures and processes of local governance are framed. The examples covered in this volume range from global cities, such as Mexico and Santiago, to remote rural areas of the Bolivian and Brazilian Amazon. As a result the book provides a deep understanding of the diversity and complexity of local governance and local development in Latin America, while avoiding the stereotyped claims about the impact of globalisation or the potential benefits of decentralisation, as frequently stated in less empirically grounded analysis.

The open access publication of this book has been published with the support of the Swiss National Science Foundation. With little warning, COVID-19 quickly escalated into a generational crisis, creating sustained havoc seen perhaps only in past cases of war, attack, and natural disasters. In the bedlam of the early months, health, science, political, and economic communities were hit with sudden force, required to quickly shift and rearrange the normal order of work. In arbitration, leaders took imperfect information to make dramatic decisions. In process and procedure, arbitral institutions, arbitrators, legal counsel, and clients were swept into this turmoil. In some cases, bold initiatives, still in design and testing, were quickly put into service, upsetting norms and traditions and the very notions of traditional process. The Impact of COVID on International Disputes includes contributions from legal practitioners and academics, takes a fresh look at issues addressed in international arbitration during the COVID-19 pandemic, gathering best practices, additional perspective and predictions based on current practices that will help parties, legal counsel and arbitrators in the future.