The Foundation for a Unified Business Law in Africa (FOUBLA) is delighted to report that its participation in the 2016 US-Africa Business Summit was a big success.

The 10th Biennial CCA Business Summit, was organized by the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) for the first time in Africa, at the African Union's headquarters, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from February 1st to February 4th, 2016. It brought together business representatives and government officials, entrepreneurs and investors, decision-makers and development agencies, from Africa, the U.S. and beyond. The organizers created an environment conducive to productive discussions about what needs to be done to achieve one's goals, and to forging new partnerships. They also laid the groundwork for a broader and deeper engagement of U.S. business interests, public and private, in Africa.

FOUBLA, which was represented at the Summit, by its President, Nady Mayifuila Dina, Esq., and Vice President, Katerina Drisi, Esq., could not have hoped for a better venue to promote the OHADA Uniform Acts which remain largely unknown outside the member states of OHADA, despite their positive impact on these countries' economies.

The visitors of FOUBLA's exhibit booth, which included legal professionals, businessmen and women, representatives of government and international institutions, expressed the hope to see more African nations join OHADA. African states struggling to undertake or complete comprehensive legislative reforms, particularly those related to business transactions could be ideal candidate-members to reap the benefits of the Uniform Acts and of the harmonized legal business environment within the OHADA region.

During a panel discussion on the “Future of the Enabling Environment: ICT, Power, Agriculture and Medical Technology in Africa”, which discussed among other things legal and regulatory framework directing trade and investment, FOUBLA's President had the opportunity to remind the audience that there are already in Africa, market-focused legislations designed to facilitate trade and promote investment, i.e. OHADA Uniform Acts.

FOUBLA, which is looking forward to attending more similar events in the future, is also planning to hold a conference on doing business in the OHADA region this spring, in the United States. Additional details about the date of the conference will be available on FOUBLA's webpage, www.fubla.org, in a few weeks.

For more information about FOUBLA's current projects, including a commentary book in English on the Uniform Acts by U.S. practitioners and academics, please contact: fublausa@gmail.com.