On May 31-June 2, CLDP led a six-country regional workshop on contract enforcement best practices, involving delegations of judges, lawyers, and academics from Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia. The program was led by U.S. Federal Judge Jed Rakoff, U.S. Department of Commerce Senior Counsel Sara Zdeb, and international experts from the private and public sectors. The program covered topics related to contract enforcement including case management, court automation, and court procedures that are in accordance with the World Bank’s Doing Business Indicators ‘Enforcing Contracts’ methodology. It also encouraged the use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms. The program focused on ensuring regional cooperation on creating specialized commercial courts, implementing eFiling systems, and increasing the use of ADR centers. The exchanges resulted in action plans for each country and regional activities, which CLDP will continue to support.

This workshop is part of CLDP’s efforts to increase MENA regional trade and investment, including with U.S. companies and investors seeking to do business in the region. It is funded through the U.S. State Department's Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI).