Sana Azhar of Asma Hamid Associates Attains International Qualification in Commercial Arbitration

Note on the Certificate in International Commercial and Investment Arbitration

This fall, I attended the “Certificate in International Commercial and Investment Arbitration Theory and Practice” conducted at the Roma Tre’ University, located in the Ostiense quarter of Rome, Italy. The Certificate’s Directors were Maria Beatrice Deli, the Secretary General of the Italian Association for Arbitration and Giacomo Rojas Elgueta, Associate Professor of Private Law at Roma Tre University (now serving on the Panel of Conciliators maintained by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).

The Certificate comprised of a series of educative and interactive sessions including conferences and workshops delivered by leading academics, in-house counsel and practitioners in International Arbitration who drew upon their practical experiences to offer unique and invaluable insights and perspectives in international arbitration. These included notable professionals from key arbitral institutions including inter alia, counsel at the ICC International Court of Arbitration, Head of the Rome branch office of the Milan Chamber of Arbitration, the President of the Italian Association for Arbitration, Secretary General of the Vienna Arbitration Centre, President of UNIDROIT, Registrar of the LCIA and members of the ICSID Panel of Arbitrators.

The subjects of the study included the nature, scope and legal framework for international arbitration; founding principles and core elements; deter mining the place of arbitration and applicable laws; the core “arbitration agreement” and its validity; selecting analyzing and drafting arbitration agreements; selection appointment and powers of the arbitral tribunal; independence and impartiality of arbitrators; gathering of evidence in international arbitration; international arbitration and foreign investments protection; investment treaty arbitration; challenges, recognition and enforcement of investment and commercial arbitral awards; current issues in international arbitration; the emergency arbitrator; cross-examination; techniques and mock trial.

The Certificate was concluded with the 9^th Roma Tre-UNIDROIT Annual International Arbitration Lecture which was held at UNIDROIT and delivered by Professor Diego P. Fernandez Arroyo who is inter alia, a Professor at Sciences Po Law School in Paris and former President of the American Association of Private International Law (ASADIP); Anna Veneziano, Deputy Secretary General, UNIDROIT and Andrea Zoppini, Professor of Civil Law at Roma Tre University. The Annual International Arbitration Lecture included discussions about the latest developments, challenges and future prospects in international arbitration.