Chambers services

Registrations open for Certificate for Specialists in Demand Guarantees (CSDG)

  • 13 January 2014
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From today, Demand Guarantee specialists will be able to register for a new level 4 qualification specifically designed to enhance and validate their professional skills.

Professionals with three year’s relevant work experience will have from 13 January until 31 March to register for the IFS-ICC qualification, with the first set of examinations taking place in June this year.

The Certificate for Specialists in Demand Guarantees (CSDG) will be delivered and examined by the Institute of Financial Services in partnership with the International Chambers of Commerce (ICC), who will provide content and source material for the qualification.

To ensure that it remains relevant in a fast-changing sector, CSDG has been designed by and had input from several leading industry experts including Roy Goode and Georges Affaki, as authors of the qualification’s study materials, and Andrea Hauptmann, Chair of the ICC Task Force on Guarantees and Senior Director/Head of Guarantees at Raiffeisen Bank International as Chief Examiner.

The CSDG qualification will provide a thorough grounding of all the main features of a demand guarantee; including the industry rules, standards and guidelines that govern guarantees and standby letters of credit, the processes and challenges involved in demand guarantee transactions and the roles and obligations of the parties involved and the relationships between them. Its purpose is to enable those engaged in raising and amending demand guarantees, including – though not exclusively – guarantees issued subject to ICC Uniform Rules For Demand Guarantees (URDG).

Anne Kiem, Chief Executive of the Institute of Financial Services said: “CSDG marks another important step in the development of a universal set of professional standards for international trade professionals. Delivered in unison with the world’s leading trade organisation, ICC, the new qualification will provide excellent support to the worldwide business community. We have already received a great deal of interest prior to the opening of the registration period and we look forward to helping these professionals develop their careers.”

Thierry Senechal, Senior Policy Manager of the ICC Banking Commission said: “As part of its key objectives, ICC is proud to support the developmental needs of international trade professionals and the opening of registrations for the CSDG qualification represents an exciting start to the year. Through our partnership with the Institute of Financial Services, we will continue to support, educate and enhance the professional skills of the world’s international trade community.”

Although no formal entry requirements are in place, prospective students must be able to study in English and ideally should have three years’ experience working with demand guarantees.

To register for the qualification, please visit IOFS CSDG