Mouhamed Kebe (Managing Partner) and Hassan Koné (Counsel) from GENI & KEBE have authored a chapter outlining the application of international arbitration principles across the OHADA states for the recently published International Comparative Guide to International Arbitration 2015.
OHADA, being the “Organisation pour l’Harmonisation en Afrique du Droit des Affaires” is a uniform system of business laws and implementing institutions adopted by 17 countries in West and Central Africa. Key elements of the unified OHADA system are the Uniform Act on Arbitration Law and the OHADA Common Court of Justice and Arbitration (CCJA).
In the publication, now in its 12rd edition, Mr Kebe and Mr Kone provide an overview of how the OHADA laws work in conjunction with international treaties and contractual obligations relating to arbitration. The information is particularly useful for international practitioners and in-house counsel seeking to understand how arbitration clauses may affect them in this region.
“The principal advantages of arbitration are the freedom parties enjoy to appoint arbitrators and the short time to get an award in comparison with the state justice system,” explains Mr Kebe, who holds a Certificate in Commercial and Investment Arbitration at the University of London and is a chartered arbitrator before the Arbitration Court of the OHADA States. “Recognising that the rules for arbitration in this region offer strong protection, it makes international arbitration an attractive option for investors for the resolution of disputes.
The Guide is published by the Global Legal Group and can be viewed online.