CRCICA was among five African and international arbitral institutions contributing to the Seminar on: “Arbitration Institutions for Africa: The Great Debate” hosted by the London Office of Mayer Brown on 14 March 2018. Dr. Ismail Selim was a guest speaker and member of a panel discussion. The event was meant to provide a sound understanding of the most prominent arbitration institutions in Africa and their services allowing users and investors to effectively manage risk when doing business in Africa.
Dr. Selim presented CRCICA activities and services outlining the increasing cooperation with African partners and the administration of cases involving African Parties. Other speeches approached interesting topics: the increase in arbitration between African parties, new sectors of disputes (telecoms, real estate and banking and finance), the importance of capacity building and knowledge transfer across the continent, and the need to increase using arbitrators from African countries. Discussions provided valuable insight into the manner African arbitral institutions contribute to the growth of arbitration and concluded that through further modernization of domestic arbitration laws and continuing training for the local judiciary and lawyers a bright future is promising for international arbitration in Africa.
The “Great Debate” was attended by representatives from the Association for the Promotion of Arbitration in Africa (APAA), the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Court of Arbitration (ICC), the Lagos Court of Arbitration, and the London Court of International Arbitration, as well as the– Mauritius International Arbitration Centre (LCIA-MIAC).
