The annual East Africa International Arbitration Conference (EAIAC) will be held in Nairobi from 29-30 August 2019, providing a platform for international arbitration practitioners, arbitration users, state counsel, academia and in-house corporate lawyers to learn international arbitration as an important tool for promoting FDI in Africa
EAIAC provides a forum to promote, profile and celebrate Africa’s international arbitration and arbitrators.
Themed “Government Contracting and Investment Disputes: Lessons for States and Investors” the conference will explore the full spectrum of government contracting from procurement and public-private partnerships (PPPs), tender disputes, dispute mitigation in government contracts, investment arbitration and arbitrating with governments in African centres.
Boosted by the long -term development blueprint, Vision 2030 and its mid-term development plan, the Big Four Agenda, Kenya is indeed a fitting venue for the conference. The country has experienced a surge in government contracting over the recent past and only last year, the Kenyan government successfully defended two high profile investment arbitrations: an ICC arbitration relating to the power sector; and an ICSID arbitration in the mining sector.
Notably, across Kenya's borders, various African countries have also published blueprints to be mid-level economies by the first half of this century. The momentum for investment in Africa's investment in renewable energy, infrastructure development, agriculture, healthcare and education continues despite global uncertainty. These interests in African economies is further encouraged by the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) which entered into force on 30 May 2019 with 24 out of 55 Africa states have deposited their instruments of ratification.
All these developments set out a strong case for international arbitration and its development in the continent. It is for this reason that the East Africa International Arbitration platform exists, to promote the arbitration practice, support Africa centres build relationships and their profile, create a platform for shared experience, a place where arbitration practitioners and users can meet to network and acquire new skills.
