URSB Strengthens Dispute Resolution Capacity Through Specialized ADR Training

The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) is bolstering its quasi-judicial functions by providing specialized Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) training to its senior management and legal staff. This initiative underscores the Bureau's evolving role beyond simple registration services into a significant player in Uganda's dispute resolution landscape.

The hybrid training session, held at the Uganda Business Facilitation Centre, brought together leading legal experts to enhance the capacity of URSB officers. The Bureau administers over 20 laws covering business registration, intellectual property, insolvency, and security interests, all of which increasingly demand efficient and legally sound dispute resolution mechanisms. Registrar General Mercy K. Kainobwisho emphasized the necessity of strengthening internal dispute resolution, stating that ADR provides better tools to ensure decisions are fair, efficient, and legally sound, which is critical for improving service delivery and enhancing business confidence.

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ADR gives us better tools to ensure decisions are fair, efficient and legally sound.

Experts like Justice Geoffrey Kiryabwire of the Court of Appeal and Constitutional Court, Dr. Henry Onoria of ALP East Africa, and Barbara Kilei of the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) Uganda led technical sessions. Participants gained practical skills in negotiation, conciliation, mediation, and arbitration within Uganda's legal framework. This training directly supports URSB's strategic objective of strengthening institutional capacity, refining legal processes, and making Uganda more attractive for investment through effective dispute resolution.

URSB's commitment to ADR has also garnered regional attention. Recently, the Chief Justices of Uganda and Zambia visited URSB as part of the Africa Chief Justices' ADR Forum. They commended the Bureau's efforts in promoting ADR as an effective mechanism for resolving disputes, with Zambian Chief Justice Mumba Malila noting its speed, cost-effectiveness, and contribution to social harmony.

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ADR offers a faster, more cost-effective approach to dispute resolution while contributing to social harmony and reducing pressure on formal court systems.