1 About(The(Pan(African(Lawyers(Union((PALU)(

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1 Concept(Note( ( PALU(Annual(Conference( THEME:(Combatting*Corruption:*The*Role*of*the*Legal*Profession*in*Africa( Abuja( (Nigeria( ( 22" "24"September"2015" 1 About(The(Pan(African(Lawyers(Union((PALU)( The Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) is a continental membership forum for African lawyers and lawyers associations. PALU was founded in 2002 by African Bar leaders and eminent lawyers, to reflect the aspirations and concerns of the African people and to promote and defend their shared interests.itbringstogetherthecontinent sfiveregionallawyers associations,overfiftyefournational lawyers associationsandover800individuallawyers. PALU s vision is to see a united, just and prosperous Africa, built on the rule of law and good governance.itsmissionistoadvancethelawandthelegalprofession,ruleoflaw,goodgovernance, humanandpeoples rightsandsocioeeconomicdevelopmentoftheafricancontinent. 2 PALU s(working(relationship(with(the(african(union((au)( PALU has developed an enviable position as an important partner of various African Union (AU) organsandinstitutions,includingwithintheafricangovernancearchitecture(aga).keyauofficials andstakeholdersalreadyseepaluasanimportantplayertointeract,partnerandcollaboratewith. ThiswasmadeevidentwhentheAUawardedPALUtheconsultancytopreparethedraftProtocolfor the extension of jurisdiction of the African Court to include international crimes; indeed one of the mostcomplexlawemakingendeavourseverundertakenbytheauanditsmemberstates.paluhasa formalmemorandumofunderstanding(mou)withtheau,andisroutinelyinvolvedintheactivities oftheofficeofthelegalcounsel(olc),thedepartmentofpoliticalaffairs(dpa),theafricancourt onhuman&peoples Rights(AfCHPR),theAfricanUnionCommissiononInternationalLaw(AUCIL), the Pan African Parliament (PAP), and the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption (AUABC) amongstothers. PALU also regularly engages the East African Community (EAC), the Southern African Development Community(SADC)andtheInternationalConferenceoftheGreatLakesRegion(ICGLR),thusgaining

2 practical and valuable knowledge, skills and experience on how African RECs and other IntergovernmentalOrganizationsinteractwiththeAU. 3 About(PALU s(annual(conference"" PALU is holding its annual conference in Abuja, Nigeria from 22 to 24 September The PALU Annual Conference is a new and upcoming annual event that is quickly emerging as the foremost lawyers conference on the African continent, where Africa s leading lawyers meet. This year s conference will attract lawyers and legal professionals from all over Africa and will include two components: i. AthreeEdayconferencethemed Combatting*Corruption:*The*Role*of*the*Legal*Profession*in* Africa, fromtuesday22tothursday24september.thiswillincluderigorousdiscussionsand debateontheroleoflawyersincombattingcorruption.thehighlightofthesethreedayswill be the launch of the Continental Code of Ethics on AntiECorruption and Professional ComplianceStandardsforAfricanLawyers. ii. ThePALUAnnualConferencefromTuesday22toThursday24September,whichwillfeature simultaneous Panels addressing various topical issues, and will also incorporate a Speed Networking platform, so that lawyers, law firms and law firm alliances from across the continent, and indeed across the world, can meet and exchange business information and forgeworkingrelationships. TheConferencewillbeprecededbyameetingofBarExecutivesandameetingofthePALUCouncil, which consists of all the Presidents of National and Regional Lawyers Associations. The two leadership meetings will deliberate on the Continental Code of Ethics on AntiECorruption and ProfessionalComplianceStandardsaswellasonissuesofcommonconcerntolawyers associations (BarAssociationsandLawSocieties)acrossthecontinent. TheAnnualConferencecoincideswiththeopeningoftheNigerianLegalYear,toallowparticipantsto alsoattendthisimportantevent. 4 Context(Analysis(( 4.1 The(Role(of(African(Lawyers(in(Combatting(Corruption( African(Union(Convention(on(Preventing(and(Combating(Corruption((The(Convention)( Member States of the African Union adopted the African Union Convention on Preventing and CombatingCorruption(TheConvention)attheSecondOrdinarySessionoftheAssemblyoftheUnion,

3 held in Maputo (Mozambique), on 11 July The Convention entered into force on 5th August 2006.TodatethirtyEfour(34)countrieshaveratifiedtheConventionandareStatesPartiestoit. ( The(PALU(Specialized(Conference(on( Combatting(Corruption:(The(Role(of(the(Legal( Profession(in(Africa ( Africa is one of the fastest growing economies in the world with significant multinational business transactions such as in mining, energy(oil and gas) and large infrastructure projects. The continent has however lost billions of dollars in these business transactions to corruption. This is money that couldbeusedinsocioeeconomicdevelopmentonthecontinent. Everybusinesstransactionhasalegalangle.Lawyersactasintermediariesrepresentinggovernments, private companies and citizens. Lawyers thus possess a considerable amount of power to stop corruption and could play a lead role in entrenching cleaner business transactions in Africa. Most lawyershoweverlackawarenessofthenatureandthreatsofcorruptionmakingthemvulnerableto, andcomplicitin,corruption. AfricanStateshaverecognisedtheissueofcorruptionasamajorconcernfordevelopmentinAfrica andtheachievementofthelegitimateaspirationsoftheafricanpeoples.thisledtotheadoptionof theafricanunionconventiononpreventingandcombatingcorruption,asmentionedabove.african citizensoughttodotheirpartinrejectingandcurbingcorruptionaswellasholdingtheirgovernments accountabletotheirinternationalobligations. PALUhasidentifiedgoodeconomicgovernanceasanessentialpreErequisiteforpromotingeconomic growth and reducing poverty in Africa. Our 2014E2019 Strategic Plan has placed importance on buildingthecapacityofourmemberstohelpinpreventingandcombattingcorruptioninafrica.to thatend,paluisimplementingaprojecttitled African"Lawyers"Initiative"on"Compliance"in"Business" Relations.TheprojectaimsatcreatingawarenessonthelegalandotherantiEcorruptioninstruments thatexist,andthemethodsofensuringcompliance.italsoaimsatshiftingpartoftheresponsibilityof fighting corruption in business from government agencies to the legal profession upon whom business transactions rely. These will be achieved through a series of activities that aspire to share information with, train and assist lawyers, to adopt and implement antiecorruption and compliance standards.akeyoutputoftheprojectisthedevelopmentofacodeofethicsonantiecorruptionand ProfessionalComplianceStandards. PALU s AntiECorruption Conference will aim at having presentations and encourage an interactive dialogueontheroleofthelegalprofessioninfightingcorruption.akeyfeatureoftheconferencewill be the adoption and signing of the Code of Ethics on AntiECorruption and Professional Compliance

4 StandardsforlawyersworkinginAfrica.TheCodeofEthicswillaimatinformingthelegalprofession acrossafricaandbeyondofthethreatsofcorruptionastheyperformtheirdutiesintheircapacityas lawyers. The Code of Ethics will also recommend ways in which lawyers can avoid and curb corruption, to which lawyers signatory to the Code will be accountable. Ultimately, the signing and adoption of the Code of Ethics by individual lawyers and bar associations will be a sign of the commitmentofthelegalprofessioninafricatocombatcorruptionwithinthecontinent. 4.2 The(PALU(Annual(Conference((General(Section)( OneofthechallengesfacedbyAfricanlawyersistheirnonEvisibilityontheinternationallawfield,in transnationallegalservicesandinternationalcomplexcontracts,whichcanbeattributedtothelack of information, specialised skills, strong networks and capacity to compete with well known and reputable international law firms. Professional development and nurturing strong partnerships is criticalforlawyersacrosstheafricancontinent. The principal commitment of PALU is on professional development for its members in order to preparethemfortheafricanlegalprofessionofthefuture.itseekstoenhancetheknowledge,skills, professionalacumen,personaldevelopmentandgrowth,aswellastheiraptitudetocompeteatthe internationalstage,throughlearningandmentorshipopportunities,networkingevents,professional exposure,fellowshipsandtrainings. The PALU Annual Conference is the foremost annual forum where the crème of the African legal profession,lawyers,lawfirmsandlawfirmalliancesfromafrica,andindeedacrosstheworld,meet, engageinbroaddiscussiononissuesofconcerntothedevelopmentofthelegalprofession,exchange business information and forge working relationships. The Annual Conference incorporates a wide range of thematic sessions of interest to public and private practicing lawyers, inehouse lawyers, small,mediumandlargelawfirmsaswellasthemanagementoflawsocietiesandbarassociations.it offers unique networking opportunities such as speed networking sessions, receptions and sidee events. This will be an Annual Event, comprised of a oneeday meeting of Bar Executives from National and RegionalLawyers Associations,followedbyaoneEdaymeetingofBarLeadersthatconsistthePALU Councilandclimaxingtoa3dayconferenceopentoallPALUmembers The(importance(of(the(2015(PALU(Annual(Conference( Thisyear sconferencewillbeuniqueinseveralways.thisisthesecondpaluannualconference.the significance of its success in institutionalising this forum cannot be emphasised enough. During this year sconferencewewilllaunchthepalupracticecommittees,offeringtheopportunitytoallpalu memberstojoin,workmorecloselyamongthemselvesandwiththepalugovernancestructuresand

5 Secretariat and foster partnerships with other lawyers from across the continent. We will further unveilourrevampedpalumembershippagewithanonlinemembers Directory.Lastbutnotleast, we will launch and open for signature the Continental Code of Ethics on AntiECorruption and ProfessionalComplianceStandards. We invite members, partners and friends of PALU to suggest topics or panels of interest to the practicing lawyer in any area of law, from trade and commercial law, to telecommunication and intellectual law or other area that you would like to see in the general section of the Annual Conference. WefurtherinviteallmembersthatwishtojoinaPALUPracticeCommitteeto ourSecretariat andexpresstheirintentionandtheareaoftheirinterest. 5 Objective(of(the(Conference( Giventheabove,theconferencewillbeconvenedwiththefollowingkeyobjectives: i. ToprovideanannualforumforlawyersworkinginAfricatodeliberateontopicallegalissues ofconcern,networkandforgebusinessrelations;and ii. TostrengthentheroleofAfricanlawyersinthefightagainstcorruptiononthecontinent; Morespecificallytheconferencewillseektomeetthefollowingobjectives: iii. ToofficiallyadoptandsigntheCodeofEthicsonAntiECorruptionandProfessionalCompliance Standards; iv. ToofficiallylaunchtheinteractivewebsiteandblogonlawyersEledantiEcorruptioninitiatives ontheafricancontinent; v. TofacilitatestrategicconsultationsamongAfricanlawyersbyconveningSeminars,Panelsand SideEventsondifferentlegalandcontemporaryissuesthatareofconcerntoAfricanlawyers vi. ToofficiallylaunchPALUPracticeCommitteesamongPALUmembership; vii. TounveiltherevampedmembershippageofPALUmembersonPALU sofficialwebsite. 6 Outcomes(of(the(Conference( Theconferencewillsetouttoachievethefollowingoutcomes: i. An opportunity to inform lawyers working in Africa about the threats of corruption in their capacity as legal professionals. The conference will also create an opportunity for individual

6 ii. iii. African lawyers and lawyers associations to commit to upholding the principle of antie corruptionwithintheafricancontinent. AstrengthenednetworkofAfricanlawyersseekingtoachievethePALUvisionofaunited,just andprosperousafricabuiltontheruleoflawandgoodgovernance. AnetworkingplatformforAfricanlawyerswithdiverselegalskills. 7 Expected(Outputs( Theexpectedoutputsoftheconferenceare: i. CodeofEthicsonAntiECorruptionandProfessionalComplianceStandards; ii. Presentationsfromthepanellistsandpresenters; iii. Rapporteurs reportoftheconference. iv. PALUPracticeCommittees 8 Programme( PALU envisages an engaging programme that allows vibrant presentations and discussions. Key componentsoftheprogramwillinclude: i. Panelpresentations ii. InteractivePanelEParticipantsDeliberations iii. Plenarydiscussions iv. Networkingsessions v. ParallelsessionsondifferenttopicalissuesofconcerntothemembersofPALU vi. Openingandclosingreceptions vii. Exhibition viii. HighELevelEvents ix. Simultaneousinterpretation