Disputes in Africa’s Extractive Industries: Smart Mechanisms Beyond Arbitration

Presentation

Join us at Hogan Lovells' offices in Paris for this in-person Paris Arbitration Week event, featuring an extraordinary panel of experts—including a former ambassador, leading arbitrators, international law scholars, practitioners, and journalists—exploring how Africa can transform its extractive industries into drivers of sustainable and responsible growth.

Africa, rich in critical minerals for the energy transition, stands at a crossroads: traditional investor-state arbitration has often undermined sovereignty and revenue capture, but new frameworks now allow states to reconcile sovereignty and legal certainty, responsible profitability, and endogenous value creation. Panelists will examine practical tools ranging from contract drafting (including price review provisions), pre-arbitral mechanisms such as mediation or expert determination, securing a social licence to operate, and using arbitration strategically to prevent escalation—as demonstrated by the recent Barrick Gold–Mali settlement.

Featuring an extraordinary panel of guest speakers:

Ambassador Namira Negm – Director, African Migration Observatory; Former Ambassador of Egypt to Rwanda

Prof. Laurence Boisson de Chazournes – Professor and Arbitrator, Matrix Chambers & University of Geneva

Dr Abayomi Okubote – International Arbitration Practitioner and Executive Director of the Africa Arbitration Academy

Melissa Ordonez – Partner, Hogan Lovells

Louise Margolin – Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Africa Business+ (Jeune Afrique Media Group)

Who should attend? – The event is free and open to all arbitration practitioners, corporate counsel, and stakeholders interested in extractive industries and dispute resolution in Africa.

Why attend? Network with top professionals, gain practical insights into navigating complex disputes, and discover how Africa’s extractive sector can combine legality, profitability, and sustainable impact.

Register now to secure your spot and engage with this distinguished panel! Please note that the event will start at 5pm.