Arbitration Systems in the UK and in the Middle East - Essay Example

The applications of the historical and legal foundations of arbitration are explored in the final section as they pertain to the origins of arbitration systems in the Middle East and in the United Kingdom. In order to gain an understanding and appreciation for the dynamics and significance of arbitration as a central component of the effective execution of trade agreements, it is necessary to trace its early development. A review of the historical records demonstrates that mechanisms of arbitration have been utilized as a non-military means of dispute resolution that has always functioned as the cornerstone of peaceful exchange of commodities between individuals, groups and nations throughout human history1.

This assessment of the historic roots of arbitration illustrates that the foundations of negotiation and the principles of alternative dispute resolution are to be found universally among human cultures and have provided an essential foundation for the development of modern mechanisms of arbitration that have become an essential component of international trade agreements that define the global economy. The concept of arbitration developed historically in the context of resolving cross-border commercial disputes2.

As such, the evolution of arbitration and dispute resolution practices over many centuries speaks to a trend that merely seeks to accommodate this i3nitial concept of arbitration on both domestic and international levels3. This part of the paper examines the early historical development of arbitration based on an examination of available historical records and presents it as the background against which the specifics of modern arbitration practices and policies in the UK and the Middle East have developed.

It is important to explain the dynamics of alternative dispute resolution so as to place arbitration in its proper historical context.