On the occasion of the 20^th Anniversary of the signing of the Treaty creating the Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa (OHADA), the Association for the Promotion of Arbitration in Africa (APAA) is organizing an international Colloquium under the theme: “Arbitration in commercial and investments matters in Africa” Yaounde (CAMEROON) 31st of October-the 1st of November 2013, Under the effective patronage of the Minister of State, Minister of Justice, Keeper of the Seals, of the Republic of Cameroon.

A. CONTEXT AND JUSTIFICATION OF THE COLLOQUIUM

With the opening of Africa to the market economy and the increasing implication of African economic operators in international trade, the question of legal safety of such investments, locally or abroad, arises with acuteness and this has been a priority for African public authorities during the last twenty years.

Arbitration is known to be the most appropriate mode for the settlement of international trade and investments disputes and the signatories of the OHADA Treaty clearly took the option to promote arbitration for the settlement of contractual disputes.

The diversification of arbitration offer in Africa and the increasing participation of African parties in international arbitration tend to consolidate the adhesion of Africa to this mode of disputes settlement in international trade.

However, the proliferation of arbitration Centers in Africa cannot be perceived as portraying a good knowledge of the arbitration institution on the continent.

Hence, the mastery of arbitration in commercial and investment matters by its potential users in the OHADA region justifies the holding of the present Colloquium, which will have as essential objective, to strengthen the capacities of participants regarding commercial and investments arbitration.

B. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE COLLOQUIUM

Besides the general objective mentioned above, participants will be capable by the end of the colloquium to:

• master the arbitration institution;
• analyze interactions between the State justice and the arbitration justice in Africa;
• know how to proceed with the forceful execution of arbitral awards in Africa;
• master the arbitration of investments, especially that of the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID);
• be informed about the specificities contained in arbitration rules elaborated by the United Nations Committee for International Trade Law (UNCITRAL);
• arrest the implementation by the Common Court of Justice and Arbitration (CCJA) of arbitration in investment matters;
• get acquainted with arbitration arising within the framework of activities financed by the European Fund for Development (UFD).

C. TARGET PUBLIC

The present Colloquium targets mainly:

• magistrates, lawyers and judicial auxiliaries;
• corporate lawyers;
• economic operators;
• researchers as well as students specialised in the field of international disputes.

D. ANIMATION OF THE COLLOQUIUM

Due to the specificity of arbitration in commercial matters and in matters of investments, the specialists in these domains are still rare in sub-Saharan Africa in particular. Given these conditions, the best specialists of the ICSID in Washington, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague, the International Court of Arbitration in Paris, as well as other Experts living in Europe confirmed their availability to put their expertise to the service of Africa by accepting, through their presence, to animate this colloquium.

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Contact

Association for the Promotion of Arbitration in Africa (APAA)
Tel: +237 22 21 92 73 - +237 97 60 24 34 - +237 99 98 11 47
Fax: +237 22 21 92 73
E-mail: apam.afrique@yahoo.fr.