INSIGHTS

Addis Ababa, September 13, 2018 (FBC) – Apparel giant PVH Corp has received an Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) from the US Secretary of State in recognition of its role as lead investor in the apparel manufacturing facility at Hawassa in Ethiopia.

The owner of brands including Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Van Heusen, Warner’s and Izod, is one of just two winners of the 2018 ACE, which acknowledges US firms that uphold high standards of responsible business conduct.

PVH is receiving the Sustainable Operations award for helping to contribute to the growth and sustainable development of the local economies in which it works.

“We are in a unique position to make positive impacts in the places around the world where we work and live. One of those places is Ethiopia, where we set out almost five years ago to create a sustainable, vertically integrated, apparel manufacturing industry,” says Emanuel Chirico, chairman and CEO, PVH Corp.

In 2014, PVH approached some of its best suppliers to share its vision for Africa. The company set out to implement international standards and practices in building, fire and worker safety, environmental sustainability, as well as human rights to establish a stable manufacturing economy.

“Today, we are seeing our vision come to life at the Hawassa Industrial Park. We have focused on protecting the local environment, using sustainable energy and ensuring sufficient supplies of clean water. Creating a safe and inclusive workplace is also a priority, which provides real opportunities for the residents of the surrounding area.”

The Hawassa Industrial Park is expected to result collectively in 60,000 jobs within a few years and features state-of-the-art machinery focused on environmentally advanced practices.

The park’s Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) effluent treatment facility recycles over 90% of the wastewater produced in the park. This helps preserve Lake Hawassa, which serves as the community’s water supply and is the center of the local ecosystem.

“The ultimate goal for PVH’s model industrial park is to provide a better future not only for the workers and their families, but also to inspire responsible industrialization across Ethiopia for the betterment of its entire population and the creation of a new market for US goods,” according to a statement from the State Department.The award for Sustainable Operations will be presented at the annual ACE ceremony in Washington DC on 5 October, according to Just-style.

MTA was the exclusive local partner for the East African International Arbitration Conference (#EAIAC2018) held at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa from August 30-31^st, 2018.  The theme of the conference was “Re-focusing Regional Trade, Energy and Arbitration. “ the conference hosted various legal practitioners, arbitrators, magistrates, international investors, academicians, corporate counsel, and government representatives from Ethiopia, the East African Community and beyond. The event was organized in collaboration with the Ethiopian Lawyers Association. (ELA).

Keynote address was delivered by the Ethiopian Investment Commission Commissioner, Mr. Belachew Mekuria, who remarked that the recently announced privatizations in Ethiopia will create a competitive business environment and the need for an effective dispute resolution mechanisms such as arbitration. Deputy Attorney General also delivered a keynote in which he emphasized that Ethiopia is welcoming major changes in its economic policy and hinted that the changes in policy will be followed with legal reforms. The Deputy AG also expressed his office’s readiness to collaborate with international forums such as EAIAC.

The event featured a breakfast roundtable discussion on China-Africa investment and arbitration cooperation, and panel discussions on topics including: the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA), East Africa’s Energy & Infrastructure Projects-, Preparing the Next Generation of Africa Arbitrators, Exploring International Commercial Arbitration, Treaties in International Arbitration, Enforcement of Arbitral awards and Artificial Intelligence in Arbitration.

MTA’s attorneys presented insight on the panel discussing Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) and renewable energy and challenges in relation to enforcement of foreign arbitral awards in Ethiopia.

The event also saw the signing of a MOU between the Kigali International Arbitration Centre (KIAC) and Cairo Regional Centre for International Arbitration (CRCICA).  

Justice Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, President of the East Africa Court of Justice delivered the closing remarks reiterating the importance of platforms such as the EAIAC for the development of international arbitration in the continent.  

Founded in 2013, the EAIAC has the vision of improving international arbitration and investment laws in East Africa, harmonizing regional arbitration centers and positioning them as a safe venue for international arbitration.  The conference also aims at creating awareness and engagement in the private sector users of arbitration, governments and practitioners, as well as promote Africa’s international Arbitration. The annual event has so far been held in Addis Ababa (2013), Nairobi (2014), Dares Salaam (2015), Kampala (2016), and Kigali (2017).