From the 22nd to the 24th May 2007 the OHADA Seminar (Go to General Report) was organized at Crystal Palm Hotel, Tesano, Accra, the Ghana-France Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture and the Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa (OHADA). This Seminar, under the Chairmanship of the Chairman of the OHADA Council of Ministers, was attended by His Excellency El Hadj Maty Moussa, Minister for Justice of the Republic of Niger:

• a delegation from the Ministry of Justice of Ghana,
• several magistrates of Ghana
• lawyers
• a delegation from the Judicial Training Institute led by Ms. Mercy Ohene, Director
• a delegation from the Ghana-France Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture
• university lecturers
• a delegation from Benin led by Professor Dorothé Sossa, lawyer, former Minister for Justice, Dean of the Faculty of Law of Abomey - Calavi
• a Camerounian delegation led by Professor Martha Tumnde, Dean of the Faculty of Law of the University of Buea
• a Canadian delegation led by Mr. Serge Bourque, Barrister at law of Montreal,
• a French delegation led by Professor Jacques David, director of the Juriscope Information Centre on Judicial System abroad,
• a Nigerian delegation led by Mr. Akin Akimbote, former President of the bar association,
• a delegation from Togo led by Professor Akuété Pedro Santos, dean of the Faculty of Law of Lome,
• an American delegation led by the Professor Claire Moore Dickerson of Putgers New Jersey,
• a delegation from the OHADA Permanent Secretariat, led by the Permanent Secretary in the person of Mr. Koleka Boutora-Takpa.

Presents at the opening and closing ceremonies were: Madam Evelyn Decorps, Chargé d'afaires at the French Embassy, His Excellency Mr. Tonre Ambassador of the Republic of Niger, Mr. Chris Hesse Tetteh, President of the Ghana-France Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture. After the Seminar organized on OHADA in Africa in 2003, the objective of the organizers for this seminar was to make this technical tool of regional integration put at the disposal of legal practitioners of member francophone and Anglophone countries of OHADA better known. The participants present at this scientific seminar dealt with the priority subjects in their respective countries:

• Factor in effectiveness of regional strategies
• Scope of application today and tomorrow
• OHADA and national jurisdictions.

After a long exchange of views on each of these 4 topics, the discussions were held in a very lively environment and dealt in particular with:

• The dual category of business operators and specific provisions relating to traders
• Specific Rules and Regulations relating to the different business operators' groups (companies, economic interest groups) under OHADA law and use in Common law (continuation).

Let us recall that over the past 10 years the 16 Member States of OHADA are working towards legal security for both the stakeholders and economic activities on their continent. The success achieved by OHADA at the end of the first decade of the harmonisation of business law is unanimously recognized and commended by observers and development partners of Member States. This Seminar attended by judges, lawyers, University lecturers is the beginning of a series of activities that we are undertaking to make Ghanaian economic operators aware of the interest of all stakeholders in bringing the business law of their countries closer to that governing the signatories of the OHADA treaty. That should lead to a better understanding in Interafrican trade and thus develop the economies of all countries. The Minister for Justice, Mr. Ghartey, who should have presided over the closing ceremony, was unfortunately unable to honour us with his presence, owing to a last minute constraint. The Honourable Jœ Ghartey received his counterpart from Niger El Hadj Maty Moussa, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of OHADA, accompanied by the Permanent Secretary of OHADA, Mr. Boutora-Takpa and Madam Joyce DARKO, Member of the "OHADA National Committee in Ghana". During this very relaxed meeting, the Ghanaian Minister confirmed his interest in the OHADA treaty to his guests and assured them that he would closely follow the development of our activities in this regard. For all furher information, you may contact Ms. Jacqueline Nastors : gfcciadirection@yahoo.fr.