From November 2020 through January 2021, CLDP will provide virtual assistance to teams participating in CLDP's 11th Annual Middle East Vis International Commercial Arbitration Pre-Moot Program.

CLDP will run an introductory workshop in partnership with the PPP Authority on the legal structure of a basic PPP for participants from various line ministries. The legal structure of a PPP project can be complex. Understanding this structure can help with hiring appropriate experts, negotiating terms, and accurately measuring and understanding the costs of a PPP transaction. The webinar will be recorded and dispersed to all participants following the presentation.

The PPP process requires a significant amount of time and resources. To ensure that those resources are well spent, it is important to have an understanding of Financial modeling. Financial modeling is the tool that allows the assessment of commercial feasibility. The financial model is designed to reflect the estimated financial situation of the project company during the life of the contract. In this webinar, the speaker will cover the basics of developing a Financial Model. The program will include a pre-recorded webinar, and a live Q&A session on December 10. 

On December 8, CLDP, along with counterparts from USAID and the U.S. Department of State, held an introductory meeting with Afghanistan’s newly confirmed Minister of Industry and Commerce (MoIC). CLDP described its technical support of MoIC’s priorities to increase exports, improve trade and transit, and attract foreign investment.

CLDP will host a webinar in partnership with ByHand Consulting to increase the export preparedness of artisans in Morocco.

CLDP, in cooperation with USPTO, will provide a file link to select Pakistani judges likely to adjudicate intellectual property (IP) cases (e.g., IP Tribunal Presiding Officers) and who register/accept an invitation to the webinar from CLDP.

CLDP will host a webinar on debt indicators and debt structures as part of its ongoing Financial Modeling Series for the Public Private Partnership Authority of Bangladesh. Understanding debt indicators and debt structures is crucial to formulating an accurate debt schedule and a comprehensive financial model that accurately portrays the commercial feasibility of a public private partnership. The webinar will cover debt indicators and debt structures, key covenants, amortization triggers, debt service reserves, and discuss common issues when formulating debt models.

On December 16, CLDP, in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Government of Kosovo (GoK) will sponsor a second training on the advance ruling systems.  This session will include private sector companies from Kosovo AmCham and other shipping associations as an opportunity to learn about the GoK advance ruling system and to support the Kosovar government in creating a mechanism for uniform advance rulings on origin/classification and valuation.

CLDP will host a webinar in partnership with ByHand Consulting to increase the export preparedness of artisans in Tunisia.

CLDP will host a Western Balkans Customs Trade Facilitation Working Group discussion on Friday, December 18 from 14:30h – 16:30h CET. During the meeting, CLDP will provide an update of planned programs for 2021. CLDP will also hear updates from the CEFTA Secretariat and a brief update on lessons learned during the COVID-19 Pandemic from working group expert Vladimir Pisar.