Mauritius International Arbitration Conference 2012 - An African Seat for the 21st Century

The second biennial Mauritius International Arbitration Conference marks the successful continuation of the dynamic project, launched in 2010 by the Government of Mauritius and leading arbitral institutions, to create a new platform in the region for international commercial and investment arbitration. As part of this project, Mauritius:

• adopted state-of-the art legislation based on the UNCITRAL Model Law, adapted to best serve the interests of international users (November 2008);
• concluded a Host Country Agreement with the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague pursuant to which the PCA appointed to Mauritius its first overseas representative (April 2009);
• hosted the inaugural Mauritius International Arbitration Conference in December 2010;
• has cooperated with the LCIA to open a dedicated and state-of-the-art Centre for International Arbitration; and
• successfully bid to host the 2016 Congress of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (June 2012).

This conference will be opened by the Prime Minister of Mauritius, with a keynote address by the Head of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations. It will feature panels formed of international and regional leaders in the field, and will see Mauritius continue to establish itself as a centre of expertise and training in international arbitration for the African continent and beyond.

From the unique perspective offered by Mauritius as a natural gateway into Africa, panels under the chairmanship of the heads of the co-hosting institutions will consider current and emerging issues in international arbitration under the theme An African Seat for the 21st Century. Specifically, over two days:

• Three panels on international commercial arbitration, chaired by the President of the ICC Court, the Director General of the LCIA and a senior member of the ICCA Council will engage in a critical examination of various aspects of the role of the courts: in giving effect to arbitration agreements; in supporting arbitral proceedings, and in the recognition and enforcement of awards. A speaker on each panel will provide an African perspective on each topic.
• Three panels on investment arbitration, chaired by the Secretary of UNCITRAL, Secretary-General of ICSID, the Secretary-General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, will aim to provide a fresh perspective on: arbitrator appointments and challenges, sovereign debt issues in investment treaty arbitration, and the management of regulatory risk.