Uzbekistan Alternative Dispute Resolution Business Development Visit to Hong Kong

Uzbekistan Alternative Dispute Resolution
Business Development Visit to Hong Kong

March 20 – 22, 2023
Hong Kong




GoU Meeting Agenda




Organized by
Commercial Law Development Program,
United States Department of Commerce


Project made possible through funding by
The U.S. Department of State



CLDP Points of Contact
Cristen Bauer, [e-mail]
Sydney Dinenberg, [e-mail]
Government of Uzbekistan Points of Contact
Aytjanov Esmurza, Strategic Reforms Agency (SRA)
Alisher Kuchiev, Uzbekistan Direct Investment Fund (UzDIF)
Sardor Ruziev, Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade (MoT)
Jaksi'muratov Uzakbergen, Ministry of Justice (MoJ)


Tashkent International Arbitration Center (TIAC) Points of Contact
Diana Bayzakova, Director, TIAC
Nodir Yuldashev, ADR Practitioner
Sherzod Abdulkasimov, ADR Practitioner
Diora Ziyaeva, TIAC Court of Arbitration Member
Cornel Marian, TIAC Court of Arbitration Member
Joe Liu, TIAC Court of Arbitration Member


International Arbitration Experts – Points of Contact
Wesley Pang, Partner, Eversheds Sutherland (and Former Managing Counsel, HKIAC)
Byron Perez, Counsel, HKIAC
Othmane Benlafkih, Associate, GBS Disputes, HCAA (and Former Counsel, HKIAC)


Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP)
The Commercial Law and Development Program (CLDP) is a legal technical assistance arm of the United States Department of Commerce in the Office of General Counsel. Created in 1992, CLDP’s mandate is to work with emerging economies to improve the policy, legal, and regulatory conditions for trade, investment, and commercial activity. CLDP provides legal technical assistance, legislative and policy advisory services, and institutional capacity building to host country governments in support of their economic development goals.



CLDP Alternative Dispute Resolution Work
CLDP works with stakeholders to improve the legal and business enabling environment by strengthening dispute resolution mechanisms and contract enforcement, including through the development of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms, such as arbitration and mediation. CLDP works with stakeholders across the ADR community including, governments, judiciary, institutions, practitioners, academics, students, and the business community to improve the legal infrastructure for ADR. CLDP’s approach is to work with stakeholders to (1) modernize and update legislation; (2) support for the judiciary; and (3) develop a culture of ADR in a country by addressing supply and demand side gaps in the ADR ecosystem. CLDP works with ADR Centers to develop trainings for practitioners and neutrals, improve case management, and with the business and legal community to raise awareness, adoption, and uptake of ADR mechanisms. Every year, CLDP also supports university participation in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot competition (Vis Moot) in more than a dozen countries to help support the development of pipeline of future ADR practitioners and a culture of arbitration in legal and academic communities around the world.
Uzbekistan Alternative Dispute Resolution Business Development Program
From March 19 - 21, 2023, CLDP is bringing members of the Tashkent International Arbitration Center (TIAC) and Government officials working on the development of ADR in Uzbekistan from the Ministry of Justice, Strategic Reforms Agency, Ministry of Trade and Investment, and Direct Investment Fund (UzDIF). This ADR Business Development Program and study tour aims to expose the Uzbek delegation to laws and policies to develop ADR, best practices for public-private coordination on ADR, highlight ongoing formal and informal mechanisms for coordinating between government and ADR institutions, and support business development of TIAC and awareness of ADR mechanisms in Uzbekistan. Following on from two CLDP ADR Center programs in 2022, while in Hong Kong, TIAC will participate in an expert workshop on business development for the Center. The workshop will focus on developing and refining the Center’s approach to business development with various stakeholders including businesses and in-house counsel, law firms, neutrals and international advisors, and government officials. The Uzbek government delegation will participate in an expert workshop on ADR development, their role in supporting business development for the Center(s), challenges, opportunities, and approaches to working with non-government stakeholders in the development of ADR in the jurisdiction.


ADR Program Objectives

• 
  Support the development of effective ADR mechanisms in Uzbekistan
  
• 
  Strengthen business enabling environment for businesses and investors to operate in Uzbekistan
  
• 
  Improve the profile of TIAC as an effective and efficient ADR institution in the region
  
• 
  Increase awareness among local, regional, and U.S. stakeholders of HKIAC and TIAC cooperation agreement to adopt the TIAC-HKIAC Cross-Institutional Arbitration Rules
  
• 
  Marketing and business development for TIAC among businesses and transactional lawyers in Hong Kong who are interested in investing in Uzbekistan and/or the broader region
  
• 
  Support the implementation and development of updated legal frameworks for ADR in Uzbekistan through dialogue and peer exchange with Hong Kong lawmakers on laws and policies to develop ADR
  
• 
  Highlight Uzbek delegation to best practices for public-private coordination on ADR and case study from Hong Kong on ongoing formal and informal mechanisms for coordinating between government and ADR institutions
  
• 
  Facilitate Uzbek connections to U.S. business and stakeholders in the region and to other regional markets, trading partners, and investors
  

GoU Meeting Schedule


Monday, March 20, 2023