FIDIC

The acronym FIDIC stands for Fdration Internationale Des Ingnieurs-Conseils, French for
the International Federation of Consulting Engineers. The fact that the organisation has aFrench title
bears testimony to its foundation in 1913 by three countries each wholly or partly francophone. The
founding member countries of the FIDIC were Belgium, France andSwitzerland.
Located at the World Trade Center in Geneva, Switzerland, FIDIC aims to represent globally the
consulting engineering industry by promoting the business interests of firms supplying technology-based
intellectual services for the built and natural environment. Run mostly by volunteers, FIDIC is well known
in the consulting engineering industry for its work in defining Conditions of Contract for
the Construction Industry worldwide.
Companies and organizations belonging to FIDIC national member associations are encouraged to
announce themselves as FIDIC members and use the FIDIC logo. The use of the logois strictly
controlled, and all FIDIC products and services are protected by the FIDIC trademark.

History:
There were 59 participants at an inaugural meeting during the World Exhibition in Ghent, Belgium, in July
1913, to discuss the possibility of forming a global federation of consulting engineers. Of the participants,
19 were official delegates from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland and
the USA, with the remainder coming from Austria/Hungary, Canada, Russia and the UK. The meeting
was a success in that it led to FIDIC's formal constitution on 22 July 1913. Some countries, however, only
maintained provisional links during the first few years, so the real founders of FIDIC were Belgium,
France and Switzerland. FIDIC led a difficult life until the late 1940s with a changing number of members,
and all members based in Europe.

Activities:
FIDIC organises the World Consulting Engineers Conference, seminars and training courses. The FIDIC
training manual Guide to Practice - the business of a professional services firmis well known throughout
the profession of consulting engineering. FIDIC also runs a bookshop and publishes international
contracts and business practice documents which are used as guides and templates the world over.
FIDIC is best known for its range of Standard Conditions of Contract for Construction, Plant and Designbuild, EPC/Turnkey Projects and Design, build and operate projects. Details are available in the FIDIC
Bookshop. FIDIC also publishes the Client/Consultant Model Services Agreement together with the SubConsultancy Agreement and the Joint Venture Agreement. FIDIC publishes the MDB Harmonised Edition
of the Construction Contract that is used by Multinational Development Banks including the World
Bank for their projects.
Until 2002, FIDIC was responsible for FIDICdirect, the International Directory of Consulting Engineers.
This printed and online directory listed international construction companies including engineers,
contractors, architects, surveyors and their professional advisors including banks, lawyers, risk managers
and security from the fields of infrastructure, development and environmental projects worldwide. In 2002
this service was transferred to a new website, ICONdirect.