4th ICC Africa Conference on International Arbitration to hold in Lagos
The 4th International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Africa Regional Arbitration Conference, will hold from June 18 to 19, 2019 in Lagos.
The theme for this year’s conference, which starts with training on “Drafting Enforceable Awards” on June 17, 2019 at the Civic Centre, Ozumba, Victoria Island, Lagos, is ‘Africa: Open for Business?’
Speaking yesterday at the press conference to herald the event, the Conference Planning Committee Chairman, Mr. Mike Igbokwe, SAN said there was no gainsaying the fact that, the Conference is very strategic for the Nigerian arbitration community, to the extent that it keeps creating a growing awareness of the importance of arbitration in the dispute resolution processes.
According to Igbokwe, Africa is a huge continent which is currently very attractive as an investment destination, adding that, Foreign investors often insist on efficient international arbitration, as the dispute settlement mechanism to be adopted in the settlement of any dispute which may arise from their investments.
gbokwe noted that, a stellar panel of Speakers led by the Secretary General of International Chamber of Commerce, Mr. John Denton, and the President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, Mr. Alexis Mourre, with other renowned experts in the field of International Arbitration from around the world, have been put in place by the Planning Committee to ensure the success of this Conference.
“Without gainsaying, arbitration is gaining increasing acceptance in many parts of Africa. It is now relatively common, to see arbitration clauses in contracts involving corporate bodies in Africa. While the cost of resolving disputes by way of arbitration may no longer be said to be cheap, the relative speed with which issues are resolved by arbitral tribunals, makes it particularly attractive to the business community which considers time to be money.
“As a demonstration of our commitment to the growth of Arbitration in Africa, the ICC International Court of Arbitration in Paris, and the International Chamber of Commerce in Nigeria, are co-organising the 4th ICC AFRICA REGIONAL CONFERENCE scheduled to hold from 18-19 June, 2019 at the Bell Campbell Centre, 62, Campbell Street, Lagos Island, Lagos. This is the 4th in the series of this Conference which started in 2016, since when it has continued to be a yearly event.
“The theme for this year’s Conference is, “Africa: Open for Business?” The Conference starts with training on “Drafting Enforceable Awards” on June 17, 2019 at the Civic Centre, Ozumba, Victoria Island, Lagos. “A stellar panel of Speakers led by the
Secretary General of International Chamber of Commerce, Mr. John Denton and the President of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, Mr. Alexis Mourre, with other renowned experts in the field of International Arbitration from around the world have been put in place by the Planning Committee to ensure the success of this Conference.
“This year’s conference which coincides with the centenary anniversary of ICC, starts on 18 June, 2019 with ‘ICC: Centenary Celebration’. A top rated line-up ofSpeakers from Egypt, Rwanda, Paris, Mali, Tanzania, the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Nigeria, etc will thereafter, discuss topics titled ‘Presenting Damages in Construction Arbitration’, ‘Dispute Resolution under the AfCTA: A new look at the Calvo Doctrine’, ‘Blockchain, Smart Contracts & Arbitration’, ‘Arbitration of Banking & Financial Disputes’, ‘Diversity and Disqualification: Recent Trends in Domestic and International Arbitration’ and ‘Oxford Style Debates’ .
“The ICC Conferences in the last three years attracted from within and outside Africa, the participation of seasoned arbitrators, academia, legal practitioners and users of arbitration, parties and persons interested in arbitration, who had the opportunity to critically analyse a lot of the issues facing arbitration in Africa. There is no gainsaying the fact that, the Conference is very strategic for the Nigerian arbitration community, to the extent that it keeps creating a growing awareness of the importance of arbitration in the dispute resolution processes.
“The desires to determine whether Africa is ready for investments by both foreign and local investors, and to explore possible ways of making arbitration work in Africa, are the focal points of this year’s discussion. A cursory look at the topical issues that will be discussed at this Conference, leaves one in no doubt that the Conference promises to be intellectually stimulating and productive in sharpening knowledge and skills in arbitration, which is fast becoming a veritable alternative to litigation in resolving local and international commercial disputes. The Conference fees, have been made affordable. Intending participants are encouraged to make use of the cheaper ‘early bird’ rates, by registering for the Conference within the early bird rate window.
“International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) is the largest, most representative business organisation in the world. Its global network, comprises over 6.5 million companies. Our members include many of the world’s largest companies, SMEs, business associations and local chambers of commerce, in more than 130 countries. We work to promote international trade, responsible business conduct and a global approach to regulation, through a unique mix of advocacy and standard setting activities—together with market-leading dispute resolution services. More than 2,000 experts drawn from ICC’s member-companies feed their knowledge and experience, into crafting the ICC stance on specific business issues”, he stated.