To mark the 30th anniversary of the OHADA Treaty, which was established by the Port-Louis Treaty of October 17th, 1993, the MCB organized a colloquium to reflect on the successes and future of this legal integration tool in Africa.
The 30th anniversary of the OHADA Treaty marks the progress and evolution of the Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa (OHADA). Established on October 17th, 1993, OHADA seeks to create a common legal framework for member states to promote economic integration and growth.
Last week, stakeholders gathered at MCB St Jean for a day-long colloquium, organized by MCB in collaboration with the Paris Pantheon-Assas University’s DU in International Economic Law in Africa (ADIEA) and the Jeantet Cabinet.
Jean-Michel Ng Tseung, CEO – MCB Group: “We are honored to have hosted the colloquium marking the thirtieth anniversary of the signing of the OHADA Treaty in Mauritius. At MCB, we believe in the importance of building sustainable prosperity for the region by considering the environmental and societal issues of our time. That is why we have made strong commitments and have decided to embed these ESG issues at the heart of our raison d’être, Success Beyond Numbers. By hosting this colloquium, MCB wanted to provide students and legal professionals with a platform to promote this unifying law and work towards a stable and prosperous Africa.”
The roundtables featured eighteen professional speakers, including a judge from the OHADA Common Court of Justice and Arbitration, specialists in international taxation, renowned experts in OHADA law, and lawyers specialized in international arbitration and banking law.
Four Round Tables have set out the place of OHADA Law in the African legal space, the balance of its mission as a legal and judicial framework for economic activity and business stability, and its future prospects. Students from the D.U. International Economic Law in Africa Association also actively participated in a “Forum of Expression – The future Practitioners of OHADA Law”. The event, which was international both in its subject and its participants, was rich with reflections and debates from eminent academics, judges, lawyers, arbitrators, and corporate lawyers.
Rindra Hariwo, a Doctor of Private Law from the University of Montpellier, and representative of UNIDA-OHADA in Madagascar spoke at the fourth Round Table with three other speakers: Desire Kolongele Eberande, Minister of Digital in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nael Dalati, a doctoral student in Law and working in the Jeantet Paris Cabinet, and Jean-Jacques Lecat, a lawyer, President of the Legal and Tax Commission of the French Council of Investors in Africa (CIAN). This Round Table, moderated by Arthur DESCAMPS, legal director of MCB Capital Markets (Mauritius), was an opportunity to discuss both the territorial extension of OHADA, including the challenges for the accession of new countries such as Burundi, Madagascar, and Morocco, and its material extension with the possibility of new OHADA Uniform Acts.
Created by the Port-Louis Treaty of October 17th, 1993, OHADA groups seventeen member states, with the aim of harmonizing business law in Africa to ensure legal and judicial security for investors and businesses, making it one of the most successful experiences in legal integration of our time.
Joel Lambert, Legal Director, MCB Ltd: “We owe great respect to the OHADA founding fathers for providing Africa with a legal integration tool during its most difficult times, ensuring economic and legal stability for member states. The MCB Group is proud to have hosted this major event. It has been a unique opportunity to provide students, professionals, practitioners, researchers, and OHADA law lovers with a platform to look back on the achievements of the last 30 years and to plan the next steps in its evolution.”