WELL, we all survived

WELL, we all survived. Y2K did not destroy the fabric of our lives, not even the computers that help to produce this glossy magazine. Nor did it bring the capitals of the world to a standstill on new year's eve. Happy millennium year to you all. We can now breathe a collective sigh of relief and move on from all the hype.

As we go to press, the talks in Northern Ireland appear to have hit another stalemate, despite the best efforts of Senator George Mitchell, who in his efforts to bring consensus to the peace process showed us that the real skill of mediation lies in the ability to weave together the discordant threads of different interest groups, each representing a different viewpoint.

Litigation, it could be argued, does the same thing, but runs the risk of irretrievably damaging the business relationships of those involved. Mediation has clear commercial advantages. In this issue, you will find a special feature on the role that mediation has to play in the maritime business community. Suzanne Starbuck looks at why the UK has been slow to follow Australia, Canada and the US, but says that, with the help of the Woolf reforms, inroads are now being made.

It has to make sense to preserve business relationships, with the added bonus of potentially saving thousands of dollars in legal fees. This may be the hub for some maritime lawyers. But at least one London solicitor says, 'Lawyers have nothing to fear.' Let us know what you think about the future of mediation as a form of ADR.

Elsewhere in this issue, Dr Adrian Dabinovic looks to the advantages of new government reforms in mediation, port privatisation and multimodal law to commercial operations in Argentina. Nigeria, emerging from fifteen years of damaging military rule, is making a determined break from the past. 'Building blocks for a brighter future are steadily being put in place,' says Funke Agbor, partner at Lagos law firm ACA, and author of our feature on her country.

Elsewhere, Henry Li reports on problems in ensuring that the New York Convention will be properly implemented in China's courts as part of the enforcement of foreign arbitral awards. And, true to our aim to cover maritime law developments across the globe, you will also find articles from Norway, Cuba, Malta, Panama and Kenya. We also interview the gregarious Sir David Steel, London's admiralty judge.

Last but not least, Vincent de Orchis takes a look at the facts and fallacies behind the new US COGSA proposal and argues that, although it is a less-than-perfect compromise between various maritime interest groups, it has gained increasing support from all sectors of industry. A sort of mediation, if you like, which brings us back to where we started.

We hope you enjoy this edition of The Maritime Advocate. We look forward to hearing your views. Remember, you can contact us on e-mail at wiz...@merlinco.com and subscribe to future editions here.