Past Events

On 2 April 2018, CRCICA, in cooperation with the IDAI ("Institut de Droit des Affaires Internationales" in Cairo) and Henri Capitant's Association – Egypt Group “Association Henri Capitant-Groupe Egypte”, organised a colloquium entitled: The Winds of Change sweeping the Law of Obligations: Franco-Egyptian Perspective.

Held at CRCICA Conferences Centre, the event focused on the recent reform of the French Law of Contracts and its practical effects after two years of application. Speakers also analysed the future reform of the French Tort Law and the prospective modifications. Dr. Selim delivered a speech on the substantive rules in Private International Law (“règles matérielles de droit international privé”) which validate the arbitration agreement in situations where the applicable law is hostile vis-à-vis international arbitration. Generally speaking, the event was a great platform having provided a comparative analysis of the stance of the Egyptian and French laws on the subject-matter involved. Attendees were legal practitioners from the public and private sector companies and IDAI students, particularly master-level students.

It is worth noting that on 23 June 2014, CRCICA hosted the launch seminar of the Egypt Group of the Henri Capitant's Association entitled "The Necessity of Reforming Private and Economic Relations Laws: a Franco-Egyptian perspective". The Association, through its Egypt Group, has the objective of fostering collaboration between Egyptian and French jurists and, hence, widening the scope of research in many important topics and changes made in the Egyptian law and case law.

On 20 March 2018, CIArb Cairo Branch jointly with CRCICA organized a seminar on “Exploring FIDIC’s New Rainbow: The 2017 suite of contracts under the limelight”. The speaker was Dr. Ahmed Fathi Waly, one of the Friendly Reviewers of the 2017 Red, Yellow and Silver Books. Moderated by the Branch President, Prof. Dr. Mohamed Salah Abdel Wahab,  the Seminar shed light on the main features of the newly launched Suite of FIDIC Contracts.  Attendees were able to get acquainted with the additional definitions, new provisions, modified and enhanced conditions, as well as the improved clarity and certainty characteristics of the new Books. 

More than 100 professionals attended the Seminar, basically representing the following business sectors: engineering and construction, construction consultancy as well as oil and gas. Members of a number of law firms, universities and the Egyptian Lawsuit Authority also attended. Participants  interacted and showed keen interest in the subject.

On 17 March 2018, CRCICA and Shearman & Sterling organized a Seminar on "The Interpretation and Application of the New York Convention: Taking Stock of the Practice".The Seminar focused on the 1958 New York Convention Guide (the “Guide”) which services as a reference tool collating case laws from a wide number of jurisdictions.  For public accessibility, the UNCITRAL set up an interactive online platform in cooperation with Shearman & Sterling and the Columbia Law School in 2012.

Against Prof. Emmanuel Gaillard’s background speech about the New York Convention Guide, other topics of the agenda focused on the application of articles 3 and 5 of the Convention by the Egyptian Courts, the website of theGuide and the contribution of CRCICA, among fifty selected international institutions, to the UNCITRAL Digest on the New York Convention Guide.

The Seminar was concluded by interesting Qs & As where useful interactive discussions were raised. The event witnessed diversity of participants from law firms, Egyptian Lawsuit Authority and State Council, public and private sector companies (construction, petroleum, and electrics companies in particular), as well as academics and students.

On 9 January 2018, CRCICA organized a conference on: The Use of French as the Language of Arbitration "L’usage du français comme langue de l’arbitrage" in collaboration with the French Arbitration Committee (CFA), Francarbi, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Egypt (CCIFE), the Comparative Legislation Society (Société de Legislation Comparée) and the Association for the Promotion of Arbitration in Africa (APAA).

The French Ambassador to Egypt , H. E. M. Stéphane Romatet inaugurated the Conference and praised CRCICA for its efforts to create an institutionally-empowered “strategic axis for the use of French as the Language of Arbitration.”The agenda focused on the use of the French language in law and in arbitration. The use of French in arbitration proceedings was discussed from the point of view of lawyers and arbitrators. The advantages and disadvantages of bilingual arbitral proceedings were also debated and the conference ended with a round table discussion on the geographic approaches of the use of the French language in Arbitration. The conference also included a unique session in which Professor Charles Jarrosson spoke on arbitration in the French literature.

It is worth noting that CRCICA has taken vigorous strides to promote the use of French in arbitration, especially after the issuance of the French version of its Rules in March 2017 which was logistically supported by a growing number of trilingual staff.

Interventions from participants representing 14 different countries, stressed the importance and advantages of the use of the French language in international arbitration as well as its growing popularity, especially in African States. Conferees were from Algeria, Belgium, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, France, Guinea, Lebanon, Libya, Switzerland, and Tunis. 

The conference was sponsored by Ibrachy Legal Consultancy. Media Partners included The Law, the Egyptian Association for French Jurists (AEJF), International Arbitration Africa (I-ARB) and Law Today.

The French Ambassador to Egypt , H. E. M. Stéphane Romatet inaugurated the Conference and praised CRCICA for its efforts to create an institutionally-empowered “strategic axis for the use of French as the Language of Arbitration.”

On 19 December 2017, Dr. Yassin El-Ayouty delivered a lecture titled “International Dispute Settlement: Lessons Learned”.  Dr. El-Ayouty is the Founder and President of SUNSGLOW-Global Training in the Rule of Law. The lecture emphasized the increasing importance of arbitration vis-à-vis litigation. Some particular cases were approached. Interactive discussions followed the lecture.