The Center for International Mediators and Arbitrators (CIMA) recognizes the enduring value and legitimacy of Customary Arbitration as a culturally grounded and community-anchored form of dispute resolution. CIMA offers training, research, and case support services aimed at formalizing, preserving, and harmonizing customary arbitration practices with national and international legal frameworks.

Customary arbitration is widely practiced in many parts of Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, where traditional authorities, elders, and community leaders serve as arbitrators in resolving disputes relating to land, family, inheritance, chieftaincy, trade, and interpersonal conflict. These processes are often characterized by consensus-building, restorative justice, and deep respect for social harmony.

CIMA’s program on Customary Arbitration is designed for traditional leaders, legal scholars, judges, ADR practitioners, policymakers, and civil society actors. The training explores the legal recognition of customary arbitration under national constitutions and statutory frameworks, procedural safeguards, enforceability of awards, and alignment with principles of natural justice and human rights. It also provides guidance on the documentation, codification, and modernization of customary processes to meet the demands of a plural legal system.

Through its Customary Justice Integration Unit, CIMA supports communities and states in managing hybrid dispute resolution systems, offering advisory services, research collaborations, and platforms for dialogue between traditional and formal institutions. In promoting Customary Arbitration, CIMA affirms that justice systems must reflect the lived realities, histories, and identities of the people they serve—bridging tradition with modernity in a manner that enhances access to justice, social cohesion, and legal legitimacy.