OHADA / Cameroun / 6th SOAS Conference in Africa on Arbitration, March 10 to 12, 2020 at GICAM in Douala
GICAM Mediation and Arbitration Center press release
Venue: CMAG-GICAM Headquarters, Vallee des ministers, Bonanjo, Douala
Conference languages: French with English translation
Compere: Dr Achille Ngwanza, Partner JUS AFRICA, Member of ICC International Arbitration Court, France
10 MARCH, DAY 0: ARRIVALS
12:00-1730: Registration and collection of conference materials by delegates at the venue of the Conference
18:00-21:00: Welcome reception and dinner for delegates: at CMAG/GICAM Headquaters
18:00-19:30: Welcome speeches
18:00-18:10: Welcome by Marie Andrée Ngwe, lawyer, arbitrator, mediator, President of the Permanent Committee of CMAG
18:10-18:20: Welcome by Dr Emilia Onyema, Convenor of SOAS Arbitration in Africa Conference series
18:20-18:30: Welcome by Dr Gaston Kenfack Djouani, President of Association pour la Promotion de l'Arbitrage en Afrique (APAA)
18:30-18:40: Welcome by Charles Patie Tchakoute, Chairman of Cameroun Bar Association
18:40-18:50: Welcome by Jackson Ngnie Kamga, Chairman of OHADA Bar Association
18:50-19:00: Welcome by Emmanuel Sibidi Darankoum, OHADA Permanent Secretary
19:00-19:10: Welcome by Célestin Tawamba, President of GICAM
19:10-19:30: Keynote address by Prof Henri Modi Koko, Dean of Faculty of Legal and Political Science of Université de Dschang and member of the Permanent Committee of CMAG.
19:30-21:00: Opening dinner at CMAG/GICAM Headquaters
11 MARCH, DAY 1
09:00-09:30: Registration continues
09:30-11:00: Panel 1: General Counsel view on dispute resolution in Africa
[The GCs will discuss the types of dispute resolution processes they prefer and why. How they prepare themselves when a dispute arises; how they decide which external counsel to use and how they appoint dispute resolvers.
Moderator: Emilia Onyema, SOAS University of London
Speakers:
- Mr Tertio Nkonga, General Secretary of SG Société générale Cameroon,
- Mr Guy Tankpinou, General Counsel of Orabank, Africa
- Mrs Nada Amer, General Counsel, Business Integrity Officer and Executive Member for Unilever Mashreq, Egypt
- Mr Godfred Penn, General Counsel of African Development Bank, Africa
11:15-12:45: Panel 2: States and Arbitration: State Counsel involvement in Arbitration
This panel will explore the role of state agencies in arbitration and how they can better work with private counsel in their ISDS/commercial disputes.
Moderator: Mouhamed Kebe, Managing Partner, GSK Law, Senegal
Speakers:
- Marie-Andrée Ngwe, lawyer, arbitrator, mediator, President Centre de Médiation et d'Arbitrage du GICAM (CMAG) Permanent Committee
- Mafall Fall, Senegal State General Attorney's Office, Senegal
- Pauline Mcharo, Ministry of Justice, Kenya
- Honourable Tag Elsir Elhirir, Attorney General, Sudan
- Benoît Placide Mevoua, Head, Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Cameroon
13:00-14:00: LUNCH
14:10-15:30: Panel 3: Drafting effective dispute resolution clauses under Institutional Rules
[Directors of different arbitral centres in Africa will discuss pathological clauses and provide drafting tips and best practice.]
Moderator: Eunice Shang-Simpson, International arbitrator, England
Speakers:
- Aurelien Zuber, Counsel of ICC International Court of Arbitration, France
- Lawrence Muiruri, Registrar/ Chief Executive of Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration, Kenya
- David Nyamsi, General Secretary of Centre de Médiation et d'Arbitrage du GICAM (CMAG), Cameroon
- Dr Tarik Mossadek, Member of Casablanca International Mediation & Arbitration Centre (CIMAC), Morocco
- Dr Fidele Masengo, General Secretary of Kigali International Arbitration Centre, Rwanda
15:45-17:00: Panel 4: Interviewing Arbitrators in a multicultural context
[Speakers will discuss their practical experience of being interviewed or interviewing arbitrators for appointment]
Moderator: Mrs Funke Adekoya, SAN, AELEX Law Firm, Lagos, Nigeria
Speakers:
- Martial Akakpo, Martial Akakpo & Associés, Togo
- James Kihara, Kihara&Wyne Advocates, Kenya
- Esine Okudzeto, Sam Okudzeto& Associates, Ghana
- Prof Hugues Kenfack, Université de Toulouse Cameroun/ France
Free evening
12 MARCH, DAY 2
09:00-09:30: Registration continues
09:30-10:45: Panel 5: Evidential Issues in Arbitral Hearing
[This panel will discuss issues on the taking of evidence and the use of the IBA Rules on the Taking of Evidence in International Arbitration and how arbitrators can best deal with issues of evidence taking especially where parties are from different legal traditions.]
Moderator: Olivier Cuperlier, lawyer, arbitrator, mediator, France
Speakers:
- Sally El Sawah, Partner, Youssef Law, Egypt
- Michael W. Bühler, Partner, Global Co-Chair International Arbitration Practice Group, Orrick Herrington & Sutcliff, France
- Mamadou Konate, Jurifis Consult, Mali/France
- Marc Henry, President, Association Française de l'Arbitrage, France
11:00-12:30: Panel 6: The role of language in intra-African dispute resolution processes
[This panel will explore the impact of the different languages (Arabic, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish) spoken on the continent on the choice of seat of arbitration, opportunities for appointment as dispute resolvers; the cost of translation and interpretation services; and how institutions support parties with language barriers, etc]
Moderator: Dr Sylvie Bebohi, APAA, Cameroun/Paris
Speakers:
- Paul-Jean Le Cannu, ICSID, USA
- Rose Rameau, Rose Rameau Law Firm, USA
- Funmi Roberts, Funmi Roberts & Co, Nigeria
- Laurence Kiffer, President, International Arbitration Commission, International Association of Lawyers, (UIA) France
13:00-14:00: LUNCH
14:10-15:20: Panel 7: International developments in mediation and their implications for the Continent.
[This panel will explore important and cutting-edge issues in cross-border mediation, such as (i) the recent signing of the Singapore Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (the mediation equivalent of the New York Convention); (ii) investor-state mediation; (iii) the experience of international arbitration centres with mediation, “stepped” ADR clauses and hybrid processes such as Arb-Med-Arb; and (iv) the results of the Global Pound Conference Series Report on Global Data Trends and Regional Differences in ADR. The panel will conclude by drawing out key implications for mediation on the Continent, such as by offering predictions for the future and suggestions for best practices.]
Moderator: Prof. Hiro Aragaki, Loyola Law School-Los Angeles, JAMS Int'l, SOAS
Speakers:
- Caroline Etuk, Enugu State Multi-Door Courthouse, Nigeria
- Dr Mohamed Hafez Mohamed, CRCICA, Egypt
- Michael Ostrove, DLA Piper, France
- Bernadette Uwicyeza, ADR Advisor to Rwanda Judiciary, Rwanda
15:30-17:00: Panel 8: Enforcement of intra-African awards
[This panel will discuss how awards are enforced within the OHADA region; under the NYC in other African states with focus on intra-African awards.]
Moderator: Hon. Mr Justice Dr Emmanuel Ugirashebuja (Rwanda) President East Africa Court of Justice, Tanzania
Speakers:
- Francine Dasse, Bilé-Aka, Brizoua-Bi & Associés, Ivory Coast
- Dr Nagla Nasser, Nasser Law, Egypt
- Diane Okoko, Marcus Okoko Law Firm, Abuja, Nigeria
- Josué Ndoky Dikoume, Ndoky Dikoume law firm, Cameroon
17:10-17:30: Invitation to SOAS/CIMAC 2021 Arbitration in Africa Conference, Casablanca, by Dr. Tarik Mossadek, Member of Casablanca International Mediation & Arbitration Centre (CIMAC).
17:30-18:00: Closing remarks
- Dr Achille Ngwanza, Partner JUS AFRICA, Member of ICC International Arbitration Court, France
- Marie Andrée Ngwe, lawyer, arbitrator, mediator, President of the Permanent Committee of CMAG
19:30-21:00: Closing cocktail at CMAG/GICAM Headquarters
END of Conference
Notice: Pls Note that this program may change
For further information please contact:
Sylvia FOUDA
Email: ejospy@gmail.com
