FIDIC played a prominent role at the Dispute Resolution Board Foundation (DRBF) 2026 International Conference in Rome, held from 13–15 May at the Auditorium Antonianum, as the global dispute board community marked 30 years of advancing dispute avoidance and resolution across the international construction and infrastructure sector.
FIDIC president Alfredo Ingletti spoke in the opening session, The Global Standard: The Next Generation of Dispute Boards. He offered a global perspective on the state of the industry and the maturing role of project governance, reflecting on the pivotal role of the consulting engineer in bridging technical execution and contractual administration on complex projects. Ingletti also underlined the importance of dispute boards as a key tool for successful project delivery and the value of strong industry partnerships in raising standards across the sector. FIDIC chief legal and contracts officer Daduna Kokhreidze also attended the conference and spoke on Global Drivers of Change: How International Institutions Accelerate the Adoption of Dispute Boards along with representatives from MCC and ICC.
A recurring theme across the programme was the value of closer cooperation between FIDIC, the World Construction Association and the DRBF in promoting shared standards, strengthening contractual governance and advancing dispute avoidance practices worldwide. Discussions reaffirmed the central role of the FIDIC engineer in connecting the technical and contractual dimensions of infrastructure delivery, a function that sits at the heart of effective dispute avoidance.
Founded in 1996, the DRBF has grown to more than 1,500 members worldwide and remains the leading organisation dedicated exclusively to dispute boards. Its 30th anniversary year features a global series of conferences, with Rome serving as the flagship international gathering before further events in Kigali, Lima and Denver.
FIDIC extended its thanks to the entire DRBF team for the organisation and hospitality that made the conference a success and looks forward to continuing to build stronger cooperation in shaping the future of dispute avoidance.
