Special Feature 22 Finance Monthly. Can you share anything about your plans for the remainder of the year? I hope to be enlisted on the panel of arbitrators of more arbitration centres. I will also make myself available for accepting more appointments as an abritrator before the end of the year, and for teaching law again at universities as well as to practitioners, another activity that I am passionate about. Besides that, l am currently preparing some training materials for arbitrators and working on many book projects. One of those books, already published, is the Annotated OHADA Code (“Code pratique OHADA: Traité, Actes uniformes et Règlements annotés” (Editions Francis Lefebvre, 5th edition, forthcoming, 2022). It is a treatise which contains, among other things, a structured presentation of the substantial arbitration Rules applicable in the 17 African States that have signed and ratified the treaty creating the Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa, known as the “OHADA Treaty”, as well as cases applying those Rules. That Treaty created a unified business legislation currently covering 10 areas of economic activities including arbitration and mediation. The key institution of the Organisation, the Common Court of Justice and Arbitration (CCJA) ensures unification of case law as its rulings in all the OHADA-related matters, including mediation and arbitration (except criminal offences), are final and binding in all the 17 Member States. I am preparing a revision of that book, along with other publication projects. Have you been influenced or inspired by any person in your career? I draw my inspiration from many persons, some of whom I have had the privilege of knowing or working with personally. In no particular order: First, the late Professor Emmanuel Gaillard, who was a legend and an arbitration genius. I have learned a lot from him during the four years I have known him. He was a great mentor in the field of arbitration and while we had several interesting projects before his untimely passing in 2021, I am honoured that he has prefaced my book on Arbitration in Africa under OHADA Rules. Second, the late Henry Saint Dahl, esq., from whom I learned a lot on American law and the US legal system. I had the chance to teach a seminar on US legal system with him. He contributed to the Annotated OHADA Code (mentioned earlier and of which I am the current director) by sending us selected US cases and precedents for comparative illustration. He had a great sense of justice and was always thinking of innovative ways to help those in need. Third, having had to build my law and arbitration practice from scratch, I can relate to the courage and determination that it took for Charlotte E Ray, the first African American female attorney and first female admitted to the District of Columbia Bar, to open her law practice in Washington DC at that time. Fourth, emeritus Professor Barthélemy Mercadal, who has been and is still a great source of inspiration. Finally, The Honourable Marcel Serekoïsse-Samba, former Chief Justice of the Common Court of I would suggest getting proper training in arbitration, whether in a university or by specialised institutions. “ “
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