Mexico Trade Capacity Building Project: Enhancement of the Business and Legal Environment and Trade Capacity through Legal Reform and Improvements in the Administration of Justice by Commercial Courts in Mexico

The project was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under the Annual Program Statement APS No. M/OAA/GRO/EGAS-06-107. In the third quarter of 2012, the NLCIFT conducted several activities to achieve the project's objectives. Secured transactions reform seminars were held in Mexico City from September 19-21, 2012, attended by approximately 30 lawyers and lenders associated with the successful implementation of the reform. The NLCIFT team also met with the Ministry of Economy and the working group in charge of drafting the Manual for the Enforcement of Security Interests. Oral trial trainings were conducted in multiple locations, including Merida, Yucatan, and the State of Queretaro. The NLCIFT's team held conferences with the State Court of Queretaro, the Federal Judicial Institute, and the Centro de Estudios de Actualización en Derecho (CEAD). These programs were attended by approximately 325 trial and appellate-level judges, court staff, lawyers, notaries, commercial notaries, and law professors. A symposium on alternative dispute resolution for the Federal Judiciary was held on September 25-26, 2012, in Mexico City. The program was attended by approximately 150 people in person and approximately 600 logged on to the judicial network for the live-broadcasting of the program. The symposium focused on providing the judiciary with a detailed analysis of the various methods of alternative dispute resolution and their importance in international business and trade. The NLCIFT also continued to collaborate with the Mexican Federal Competition Commission (COFECO) and Abt Associates (USAID contractor on Competition Law and Policy) in preparing a second workshop with the Federal Judicial Training Institute on the abuse of dominance (Relative Monopolistic Practices). In the next quarter (1 October to 31 December 2012), the NLCIFT will continue to collaborate with the Ministry of Economy on secured transactions reform efforts in Mexico. The NLCIFT will continue to be available for discussions with the drafting group on the Manual for the Enforcement of Security Interests and will prepare commentaries to it from a comparative and economic development perspective. The NLCIFT will also conduct one final in-reach and outreach session in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and the judicial and legal community of Mexico. The NLCIFT will also continue to work on training for federal judges on competition law, while the research work for developing materials for the second training program is ongoing. The project aims to enhance the business and legal environment and trade capacity through legal reform and improvements in the administration of justice by commercial courts in Mexico. The geographic focus of the project is Mexico, with activities conducted in multiple locations, including Mexico City, Merida, Yucatan, and the State of Queretaro. The project's timeframes are quarterly, with the third quarter (1 July to 30 September 2012) and the next quarter (1 October to 31 December 2012) being the focus of the report. The project's recommendations include the continued collaboration with the Ministry of Economy on secured transactions reform efforts, the preparation of commentaries to the Manual for the Enforcement of Security Interests, and the conduct of one final in-reach and outreach session in collaboration with the Ministry of Economy and the judicial and legal community of Mexico.