Seminar on International Commercial Arbitration in Cameroon

On 26 July 2019, Eru Amem Takem MCIArb, the YMG Ambassador in Cameroon organized a seminar on International Commercial Arbitration in Limbe, a city located in the Southwest region of Cameroon.

The event was hosted by Propeace, an NGO based in Cameroon which shares the goals of CIArb that is to promote, facilitate and develop private dispute resolution.

The seminar brought together 150 participants from all fields of life, with a majority of them being lawyers.

The discussed topics included:

• The notion of Arbitration and forms of Arbitration by Dr Duga TITANJI;
• Rules of professional ethics for common law advocates by Barrister Gilbert Tangunyi;
• The Arbitration agreement, selection of Arbitrators and their terms of reference by Dr Duga TITANJI;
• Presentation of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators by Eru Amem Takem MCIArb.

A questions and answers session marked every presentation. Presentation of CIArb was keenly followed by the participants, especially since it provided a clear explanation of  pathway to become a certified arbitrator. The participants sought to learn how they could benefit from the advantages offered by the CIArb membership.

At the end of the seminar, 86 persons indicated their intent to take the CIArb online course and assessment, leading to the ACIArb grade of membership.

The participants have also expressed their wish for having a preferential fee for candidates wishing to take both the course and Assessment online as this will motivate more candidates to enroll.

The enthusiasm of the participants prompted the YMG Ambassador to forward their wish to the relevant instance of CIArb which could accelerate the process of creation of a CIArb Branch in Cameroon.

Lastly, the participants expressed the need to bring the CIArb message to other regions in Cameroon, and they observed a significant interest in becoming arbitrators.

In this regard, the participants pleaded for the establishment of an outreach program on the promotion of Arbitration led by CIArb.

The seminar ended with a vote of thanks after which magazines, Journals, notepads and flyers received from CIArb and were distributed to the participants.

Three significant recommendations from the seminar included a request for a special fee for taking the ACIArb course and assessment, putting in place an outreach program on the promotion of Arbitration led by CIArb in the ten regions of Cameroon and creation of a CIArb Branch in Cameroon.