Arbitration

ICC-OHADA partner to boost arbitration practices in Africa

  • 24 May 2016
Dispute Resolution

The International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce has announced plans to partner with the Organisation for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA) to face the increasing number of trade disputes in Africa arising as a natural consequence of increased investment and trade on the continent.

A partnership agreement, to be signed by ICC Court President Alexis Mourre and Permanent Secretary of OHADA Sossa Dorothe Cossi next month, aims to enhance cooperation between the two organisations and to promote, professionalise and standardise the practice of arbitration in the 17 member countries of OHADA.

The signing ceremony will take place in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, on 24 June 2016 on the occasion of the first conference organised jointly by ICC and the OHADA on the topic of ethics in arbitration. The conference will be followed by an ICC Arbitration training organized in collaboration with the International Union of Lawyers (UIA) on 25 June 2015.

The partnership demonstrates the ambition of both organisations to contribute to the development of the practice of international commercial arbitration in Africa, a region where demand for the resolution of international disputes is growing strongly.

“The partnership demonstrates the ambition of both organisations to contribute to the development of the practice of international commercial arbitration in Africa, a region where demand for the resolution of international disputes is growing strongly,” said Mr Mourre.

In line with efforts to strengthen the Court’s presence and services in Africa, ICC is also set to co-host, with ICC Nigeria, the first ICC Africa Regional Arbitration Conference in Lagos, Nigeria on 19-21 June 2016. The three-day conference will provide an opportunity to consider the prospects and challenges of arbitration in the region, with a focus on the relationship between inward foreign investment, types of disputes which may arise and the African experience in arbitration proceedings.

Detailed programmes of all events mentioned in this article can be found here.