Mauritius International Arbitration Conference MIAC 2010

This conference will launch the new platform created by the Government of Mauritius for international commercial and investment arbitration, and is the culmination of five years of co-operation between Mauritius and the leading institutions in the field in the course of which Mauritius:

• has adopted (in November 2008) state-of-the art legislation based on the UNCITRAL Model Law, adapted to best serve the interests of international users;
• has concluded (in April 2009) a Host Country Agreement with the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague pursuant to which the PCA is appointing a permanent representative in Mauritius;
• is co-operating with a leading institution to open a dedicated and state-of-the art Centre for International Arbitration.

The conference will be opened by the Prime Minister of Mauritius. It will bring together international and regional leaders in the field, and will be the first step aimed at turning Mauritius into a centre of expertise and training in the field for the African continent and beyond.

Panels under the chairmanship of the heads of the co-hosting institutions will use the new framework created in Mauritius as a blank canvas against which to rethink the cornerstones of international commercial arbitration and of investment arbitration. Specifically, over two days (13-14 December 2010) :

• Four panels on international commercial arbitration, chaired by the President of the ICC Court, the second senior-most judge in Mauritius, the Director General of the LCIA and the Secretary of UNCITRAL will aim to rethink issues of jurisdiction, arbitrability, Court intervention and the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards;
• Two panels on investment arbitration, chaired by the Secretary-General of ICSID and the Secretary-General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration will aim to rethink the negotiation of investment treaties and the degree of deference which investment treaty tribunals should pay to the regulatory or judicial acts of a Host State.

Who Should Attend?

This conference is a key event for anyone interested in international arbitration in Africa and in the wider region, including:

• commercial concerns with interests and investments in Africa, or with investment vehicles based in Mauritius;
• corporate advisers and lawyers (including offshore management companies) looking to benefit from the new favourable dispute resolution mechanisms provided for Mauritian GBL companies under the new Mauritian International Arbitration Act;
• counsel and arbitrators specialising in international commercial arbitration and investment arbitration.

The eminent panellists who are attending the conference, the subjects discussed, and the format in which they will be addressed will ensure that the conference is appealing and useful both for practitioners experienced in the field of international arbitration, and for those looking to obtain a solid first grounding in the field.

Download a copy of the programme

Delegate Registration

Registration for the conference will close on 30 November 2010