Fahmi Rachid Karameh is a distinguished Lebanese attorney, international arbitrator, and mediator, recognized for his pioneering role in introducing and promoting alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods across Lebanon and the Arab region. He is the co-founder and senior partner at Rachid Fahmi Karameh Law Firm in Tripoli, Lebanon, and has built a reputable legal career that spans litigation, arbitration, mediation, legislative reform, and legal capacity building.

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With over two decades of experience, Karameh has served as an accredited arbitrator in both domestic and international disputes and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) in London. As a certified international mediator, he is accredited by leading institutions such as the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) in London, the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA), and the Tripoli Bar Association.

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Karameh played a foundational role in establishing the practice of mediation in Northern Lebanon, being the first to introduce mediation to Tripoli in 2005. Since then, he has trained lawyers, judges, and professionals throughout Lebanon and the Arab world. He has served as a certified trainer with CEDR, CRCICA, and the Tripoli Bar Association, among others.

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His legislative contributions are notable, having authored and co-drafted several legal reform projects, including Lebanon’s Judicial Mediation Law, which was enacted by Parliament in 2018. He also developed the mediation and arbitration rules for the Tripoli Bar Association and the Order of Engineers in Tripoli.

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In 2019, Karameh collaborated with the Egyptian Ministry of Justice and CRCICA to train judges of the Economic Court, earning formal recognition from both the Minister of Justice and the Court President. He also contributed to a CEDR-led Training of Trainers program in London for selected members of the judiciary.

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Karameh has held advisory roles with various international institutions. He served as the Coordinator for the Arab Mediation Promotion Project, funded and managed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and has since been appointed as a mediation expert by both the IFC and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Most recently, he was recognized as mediator with the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) of the IFC.

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He has also been deeply involved in advancing access to justice, serving as a member of the Steering Committee for the Access to Justice Project, a joint initiative of the UNDP, UNHCR, and the Beirut and Tripoli Bar Associations. In his capacity as Director of the Legal Aid and Assistance Center at the Tripoli Bar, he integrated mediation as a mechanism to support vulnerable populations and improve equitable access to legal remedies.

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Karameh' s public service includes serving as Legal Advisor to the Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs from 2014 to 2016, focusing on legislative reforms related to children and women, with an emphasis on peaceful conflict resolution. He currently serves as Legal Advisor to the Minister of Education and Higher Education, where he contributes to curriculum reform efforts aimed at incorporating mediation and conflict resolution skills into national educational frameworks.

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In addition to his legal practice, Karameh is the founder of Bayt Al-Tadrib Wal Hiwar (Training and Dialogue House), a non-governmental organization dedicated to spreading a culture of dialogue and peaceful conflict resolution, particularly within the public school system and among youth.

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Fahmi Rachid Karameh continues to be a leading voice in legal reform, ADR, and human rights, championing innovative and inclusive approaches to justice and dispute resolution throughout the Arab world.

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