A plenary meeting of OHADA National Commissions (ONC) took place on the 30th and 31st March 2015 in Abidjan (Republic of Côte d'Ivoire). Financed by the Investment Climate Facility Fund for Africa (ICF), the meeting, which was attended by delegations from all the seventeen Member States of OHADA, was specially convened by the Permanent Secretary in order to examine the draft revised Uniform Act organizing Collective Proceedings for the Wiping-off Debts.

The opening ceremony, chaired by His Excellency Gnenema Mamadou COULIBALY, Keeper of the Seals and Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Civil Liberties of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire and current Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of OHADA, was marked by three speeches.

In his welcome address, Mr. Noël Kouadio TOTO, Chairperson of the OHADA National Commission of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire wished a pleasant Akwaba to the delegations present and welcomed the choice of the city of Abidjan to hosts the meeting.

In his keynote address, Professor Dorothé C. SOSSA, Permanent Secretary of OHADA, expressed the gratitude of OHADA institutions to the host country, and thanked both the experts and the Technical and Financial Partners for their support to the Organization in carrying out its activities. He then recalled the background and the challenges underlying the ongoing revision of the Uniform Act organizing Collective Proceedings for the Wiping-off Debts and provided broad guidelines of the proposed reform, namely: strengthening the protection and control of the various actors in collective proceedings, guaranteeing greater efficiency of proceedings in terms of safeguarding viable businesses and ensuring speedier liquidation of insolvent companies and, ultimately, securing the market to promote economic stability and growth.

In his opening speech, the Chairperson of the OHADA Council of Ministers welcomed all delegations and personalities in attendance. In a special note, he welcomed the presence of Minister Filiga Michel SAWADOGO and Professor Philippe ROUSSEL-GALLE who have been working on the revision project since the beginning. He stressed that the revision of the Uniform Act organizing Collective Proceedings for the Wiping-off Debts is the continuation of ongoing efforts to update OHADA laws. He further indicated that the ongoing works should lead to a substantial improvement of the legal framework to promote access to and reduce the cost of funding, stimulate the credit market, promote growth and improve the well-being of populations through clear and efficient legal tools that are suitable for the management of insolvency. The Chairperson of the Council of Ministers finally thanked the experts writing the draft revised Uniform Act and the Technical and Financial Partners of OHADA before declaring open the plenary meeting of the OHADA National Commissions.

The meeting was suspended after the three speeches. The works later started with the setting up of the bureau and the examination, article after article, of the draft Uniform Act organizing Collective Proceedings for the Wiping-off Debts in the light of comments by member States.

The plenary assembly of ONC amended the draft Uniform Act and made recommendations to be considered in view of the forthcoming adoption of the revised Uniform Act organizing Collective Proceedings for the Wiping-off Debts.

The works ended on the 31st March 2015 at 8:30 pm.