Responding to an unprecedented global crisis

The FIDIC contracts arena was already facing a busy year ahead, but then the Covid pandemic hit and FIDIC organised its response to the crisis, reports newsletter editor, ANDY WALKER.

Much has happened since the last issue of this newsletter five months ago. Our February/March edition was published to coincide with the FIDIC Middle East Contract Users’ Conference in Dubai, but little did we know that this conference would be our last contract users’ gathering for some time as March ushered in the arrival of the Covid-19 crisis and a global lockdown which has changed everything.

Notwithstanding the ongoing crisis and the disruption it has brought to the global construction sector, FIDIC has been able to continue its work on all fronts, although with some adaptations to respond to an unprecedented situation. Our events and trainings have moved online and the investments that FIDIC has made in its digital infrastructure over the past year have certainly started to pay off.

This issue of the FIDIC Contract Users’ Newsletter gives an update on a number of those events, including our very successful and well-attended Covid-19 webinar series, and we also report on how various countries across the world have handled the impact of the crisis on their construction industry.

That report, on page 4-5 of the newsletter was written by Fanny Dastugue, the director general of the Confederation of International Contractors’ Associations. Fanny is one of the members of our new editorial board for the newsletter, which you can read all about on page 2. We are looking forward to the new board members providing strategic guidance on the newsletter’s future development and it’s great to have them as part of the FIDIC team.

Elsewhere, we give an update on how our contract training has continued during the Covid crisis, highlight news of the crisis guidance FIDIC has issued to the industry and we also report on the launch of the FIDIC Contract Users’ Awards 2020 which is now up and running for a second year.

We hope that all our readers are staying safe in challenging times and, as always, we welcome all your feedback on the newsletter so please keep sending us that by email or through your comments on social media.