OVERVIEW

Because legal protection for business is critical to long-term economic growth, CLDP, supported by USAID and the U.S Department of Commerce, aims to achieve an effective commercial legal framework to provide greater economic opportunities for Afghan entrepreneurs.

The Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP) addresses the following goals: (1) Increase the capacity of the Afghan academic community in providing commercial law education, (2) Promote a business-enabling environment in which the private sector can engage in legitimate and transparent business practices to avoid legal disputes, (3) Enhance the capacity of the Afghan government to effectively administer and enforce commercial law, and (4) Develop, strengthen, and promote alternate dispute resolution mechanisms.

ACTIVITIES

• Develop commercial law clinics and trade law courses at Afghan universities
• Support a 10-month moot arbitration competition program at 10 Afghan universities
• Broaden the commercial law curriculum at Afghan law schools through training and capacity-building activities for faculty, administrators, and Ministry of Higher Education officials
• Conduct training programs and workshops on legislative topics, contract administration, and arbitration/media skills for personnel from Afghan ministries and institutions
• Advise Afghan ministries on the drafting and implementation of new laws and regulations
• Assist the National Procurement Authority (NPA) with legislative amendments, procurement dispute resolution, and a procurement certification system
• Provide support and training for the newly established Afghanistan Business Integrity Network
• Establish Central Asia-Afghanistan Working Groups in Sanitary Phytosanitary Customs and Standards measures with respect to WTO and Trade Framework Agreement compliance

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Created commercial law clinic instructor’s manual
• CLDP and the Kuwait International Law School kicked off first phase of 2016-17 Middle East Vis Pre-Moot program
• Sponsored workshop for newly appointed arbitrators of Afghan Center for Dispute Resolution
• Provided mediation training for 14 lawyers/staff from Afghan Center for Dispute Resolution
• Sponsored participation of 15 Afghan representatives in 17th International Anti-Corruption Conference December 1 – 4, 2016
• CLDP and World Bank/International Finance Corporation (IFC) conducted joint training for Afghan judges and Ministry of Justice on enforcement of secured lending laws in Afghanistan
• Organized insolvency roundtable of Afghan government officials and private sector stakeholders on implementation of a new Afghan Insolvency Law
• Assisted office of the Deputy Minister of Trade within MoCI with Afghanistan’s WTO accession
• Joined a delegation led by USTR Special Trade Representative for Post-Conflict Countries Michael Delaney for Trade and Investment Framework Agreement Council meeting
• Sponsored law students from Kardan University, American University Afghanistan, and Herat University to participate in 14th Annual Willem C. Vis East Moot (Vis East Moot) Competition
• CLDP completed its 2017 – 18 Vis Moot Program, which was started in the third quarter