This article offers a comprehensive analysis of the challenges facing the training of mediators in Ukraine amid the country’s ongoing development as a modern rule-of-law state and the introduction of effective tools for alternative dispute resolution. Following the adoption of the Law of Ukraine “On Mediation” in 2021, mediation was formally recognized as an independent institution of out-of-court dispute settlement. However, its practical implementation remains fraught with certain difficulties. One of the key factors impeding progress is the underdeveloped system of mediator training and the lack of a coherent state policy aimed at building human resource capacity in this field. The article examines two primary forms of mediator training: basic (mandatory) and specialized (optional), with a detailed discussion of the statutory requirements regarding the scope and structure of educational programs. Particular attention is drawn to the absence of unified educational standards and model curricula, which hampers the ability to ensure a consistent level of competence among graduates of various educational institutions and civil society organizations. The article further explores the advantages and drawbacks of the existing competition between institutions of higher education and professional non-governmental organizations in the field of mediator education. On the one hand, such competition may contribute to improving the quality of training services; on the other, it often results in fragmentation, unevenness, and a lack of regulatory oversight in the approaches to training. Another critical issue addressed is the lack of an effective model for assessing the quality of mediator preparation. The current legal framework does not require mandatory certification or any standardized form of knowledge assessment, which poses serious risks to the quality of mediation services. The article substantiates the need to introduce a formal examination as a means of verifying acquired knowledge and skills, and emphasizes the importance of compulsory internships in real mediation procedures. Finally, the article investigates the issue of mediator registration. At present, Ukraine lacks a centralized state register of mediators, which complicates access to reliable information about practitioners and undermines transparency and accountability in the mediation field. Special attention is given to international experience in mediator training, with an emphasis on the need to adapt best global practices to the Ukrainian context.
K. V. Kharkivska (Tue,) studied this question.