The African Legal Support Facility (ALSF) hosted a conference on Arbitration in Africa, and launch of the African Arbitration Association (AfAA) in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

All 71 arbitral institutions in Africa created the Africa Arbitration Association to promote the development of international arbitration and other forms of international dispute resolution on the African continent.

Speaking on behalf of the Bank's Acting General Counsel, Anne Marie Mecca observed that by creating the AfAA, arbitral institutions can have a forum where they pool resources to coordinate efforts toward promoting arbitration and fostering growth, through sharing experiences, learning lessons from similar bodies, adopting best practices, working towards instilling public confidence in African institutions. In his opening remarks, ALSF Director, Stephen Karangizi commended all the eminent arbitration practitioners that have continued the efforts to establish a forum, and reiterated ALSF's commitment to promote commercial law development in Africa. "This conference presents a unique opportunity to reflect on the past but more importantly, provides the latitude to discuss how best we can harness our resources to continue playing a critical role in delivery of commercial justice in years to come", he added.

The establishment of the AfAA deeply aligns with the ALSF's objectives of advocating for arbitration in Africa; creating awareness campaigns to advance the use of arbitration; and building relevant capacities among members of arbitration in Africa.

About ALSF

The African Legal Support Facility is an international organization hosted by the African Development Bank Group. The Facility is dedicated to providing legal advice and technical assistance to African countries in their negotiation of complex commercial transactions, creditor litigation and other related sovereign transactions. The ALSF also develops and proposes innovative tools for capacity building and knowledge management.

About the African Development Bank Group

The African Development Bank Group is Africa's premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 44 African countries with an external office in Japan, the Bank contributes to the economic development and social progress of its 54 regional member states.