Do the parties have to meet face-to-face to resolve a dispute?
No. Under the Department’s ADR program, disputes may be resolved through teleconferences or via shuttle diplomacy. This type of ADR process is referred to as conciliation, which is less formal than mediation. A neutral third party facilitates communication between the parties and without deciding the issue or imposing a solution. However, it is often done without the parties ever meeting face-to-face. Teleconferences include all parties and their representatives through conference calls. In shuttle diplomacy, offers and counter-offers are conveyed to the parties separately by the mediator through a combination of telephone calls, correspondence and/or in person meetings. During shuttle diplomacy, the parties seldom interact directly. The role and responsibilities of the parties and of the mediator are the same during this ADR process as it is during mediation.
