On 4 July 2012 in Lausanne, CRCICA entered into agreement with the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS) nominating it as a host of an Alternative Hearing Centre (AHC) for the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) based in Switzerland. This is part of a delocalization scheme of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS) to create “CAS alternative hearing centres” on different continents which would be used to host CAS hearings and meetings related to arbitration or mediation procedures involving parties based in certain regions in the world. “The presence of CAS in the region will simplify the procedures as the parties will no longer need to travel to the CAS headquarters in Switzerland to defend their case,” said Mr. Mathew Reeb, CAS Secretary General, commenting on the establishment of regional CAS AHCs.
Being the first in Africa, CRCICA CAS AHC joins other three other AHCs all over the world in Malaysia, China and Abu Dhabi. Dr. Nabil Elaraby, the Secretary General of the Arab League and Chairman of CRCICA’s Board of Trustees, finds the naming of the Cairo Centre as a CAS AHC “a clear recognition of the professionalism, high reputation and central position of the CRCICA in the field of commercial arbitration”.
Later in December 2012, an official inauguration ceremony will take place in Cairo. The Agreement is expected to have positive impact on the functioning and accessibility of sports arbitration procedures in the region. By hosting an official CAS regional spot, CRCICA safely steps into sports arbitration legitimacy in a region having thriving sports practices but a relatively limited physical access to arbitration.
It is noteworthy that all CAS alternative hearing centres will be officially registered on the CAS website. The ICAS will favor such centres to organize meetings or seminars or any activities related to the development / promotion of the CAS in the region concerned. Upon functioning of this position, CRCICA will cooperate with CAS to provide training on CAS procedures and sports law.
