The II FGV Dispute Boards Competition, organised by Câmara FGV de Mediação e Arbitragem (the FGV Chamber of Mediation and Arbitration), took place in Brazil from 29 to 31 July, with FIDIC taking part as Knowledge Partner.
The competition is a moot-style event in which students take on the roles of adjudicators and counsel, arguing cases built on Conditions of Contract for Construction for Building and Engineering Works Designed by the Employer (“Red book”), Second edition 2017, Reprinted 2022 with amendments. As Knowledge Partner, FIDIC supported the initiative by making a Portuguese translation of the FIDIC Red Book 2022 available to participants ahead of the event, helping teams prepare their arguments under FIDIC's standard forms of contract.
The competition formed part of Câmara FGV's wider Construction Week, which also included a course on dispute prevention and resolution in the construction sector. The Opening Ceremony on 29 July drew more than 70 attendees, with representatives from universities, law firms, engineering companies and institutions from across Brazil. Nine teams from different regions of the country took part in the competition itself, bringing together students from a range of academic backgrounds.
The Final Round and Closing Ceremony, held on 31 July, brought together around 56 attendees in person and drew significant online engagement, with 289 views of the livestream on YouTube. In total, the competition registered 109 participants, comprising 76 students, 25 evaluators and 8 speakers, representing universities, institutions and professional backgrounds from across Brazil.
Bianca Campos of Câmara FGV de Mediação e Arbitragem said the organisers were pleased with the reach and engagement of this edition, noting that the numbers reflect growing interest in dispute boards and in the development of professionals working in dispute prevention and resolution in the construction sector.
FIDIC's involvement in the competition builds on its long-standing work to promote the use of dispute boards and the FIDIC suite of contracts among the next generation of engineering, legal and construction professionals. Câmara FGV de Mediação e Arbitragem and FIDIC have confirmed their intention to continue the partnership in future editions of the competition.
