Bibliographie sélective OHADA

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is a watchdog established to counter the abuse of the financial system by criminals for money laundering, the financing acts of terrorists and proliferation financing. For the FATF to achieve its mandate, it came up with a set of global standards in the form of Recommendations. The Recommendations seek to mitigate the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing and to assess whether FATF member countries are taking effective action to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. South Africa is a member of the FATF and therefore, is obliged to comply with the standards set to combat money laundering and terrorist financing and proliferation. The FATF uses assessments done through peer mutual evaluations. In other words, FATF members assess one another’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) regulatory frameworks for compliance with FATF’s standards. Following the FATF's assessment in the years 2003, 2009 and 2018, South Africa’s AML/CTF regulatory framework was found to be weak leading to greylisting in 2023. The greylisting of South Africa follows the findings of strategic deficiencies in the country’s implementation of the FATF AML/CFT standards. Greylisting by the FATF carries various economic and reputational implications for South Africa such as increased scrutiny from international partners resulting in increased compliance costs for financial institutions, an estimated reduction in South Africa’s gross domestic product (GDP) and a decrease in foreign direct investment (FDI). Since the greylisting, South Africa has embarked on a legislative and regulatory journey to address the shortcomings with a view to be taken off the greylist. This dissertation provides a detailed analysis of the FATF standards, evaluates South Africa's legislative and institutional responses in the form of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998, Financial Intelligence Centre Act 38 of 2001 and the Protection of Constitutional Democracy Against Terrorist and Related Activities Act 33 of 2004, and assess their effectiveness in addressing the identified deficiencies. Recommendations are suggested to assist in fortifying South Africa’s AML/CTF regulatory framework.

Environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues have gained prominence in recent years. Companies have come to understand their role in the global economy and that their decisions cannot be based solely on profits. They are now required to have regard for the environment in which they operate, to be mindful of the social factors that affect their employees, customers and the community at large, and to ensure that their corporate governance complies with the standards set out in the Companies Act 71 of 2008 and the various King Reports. While ESG has become a buzz word in the corporate world, there is still much uncertainty among stakeholders about what they are required to do and what the reporting requirements, if any, are. Its implementation in South Africa is still in its infancy and there is much uncertainty about what ESG monitoring and compliance truly entail. A perfect illustration of this is the fact that the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) only published ESG disclosure guidelines for the first time in 2022. This means that until the guidelines were published, hundreds of companies in South Africa had been wondering aimlessly in the dark when it comes to ESG issues. To make matters worse, while environmental issues and corporate governance issues have received significant attention from scholars and legislators in South Africa alike, the "S" in ESG has received little attention. It is often treated as the undesirable stepchild that everyone conveniently forgets is part of the ESG family. The purpose of this study is to highlight the gaps in the existing ESG regulatory framework, which leads to gaps in the understanding and monitoring of the implementation of the social indicators of ESG. The study aims to firstly determine whether companies in South Africa have a proper understanding of the social framework of ESG and whether the current legal and/or regulatory framework in South Africa offers sufficient guidance to n organisations to ensure that they comply with and fully implement the social guidelines of the ESG framework.

The ongoing ISDS reform, under UNCITRAL Working Group III with a substantial input from the EU, has recently proposed for the establishment of a Multilateral Investment Court (MIC) with an appellate mechanism. Simultaneously, expedited arbitration procedures have gathered significant academic interest in the recent decades. While extensive literature exists on both the MIC development and expedited procedures, their intersection remains relatively unexplored. This dissertation bridges this research gap by analyzing how the best practices from different expedited procedures and EU treaties could be used to establish expedited MIC procedures. Adopting a doctrinal methodology, the research identifies the prominent models and trends in different expedited procedures, accesses their compatibility with the objectives of MIC, and finally proposes a suitable model to attain (cost and time) efficiency and consistency both for the first-tier and appellate proceedings in MIC. By doing so, the study contributes some recommendations for the development of expedited MIC procedures.

6102 sayılı Türk Ticaret Kanunu m. 531'de anonim şirketin özel sona erme hallerinden biri olarak haklı sebeplerle fesih düzenlenmiştir. Bu düzenleme ile 6762 sayılı Türk Ticaret Kanunu döneminde anonim şirketin haklı sebeple feshinin mümkün olup olmadığı yönündeki tartışmalar sona ermiş ve anonim şirketin haklı sebeple feshi kurumu hukukumuza kazandırılmıştır. Anonim şirketin haklı sebeple feshi, haklı sebeplerin varlığı durumunda, sermayenin en az onda birini ve halka açık şirketlerde yirmide birini temsil eden pay sahipleri tarafından istenebilir. Anonim şirketin haklı sebeple feshi davası şirket merkezinin bulunduğu yer asliye ticaret mahkemesinde açılır. Kanunda anonim şirketin haklı sebeple feshinde haklı sebep kavramı tanımlanmamış ve haklı sebep teşkil edebilecek durumlara örnek gösterilmemiştir. Kanun gerekçesinde bu kavramın niteliklerinin gösterilmesinin ve tanımlanmasının yargı kararları ve doktrine bırakıldığı belirtilmiştir. İleri sürülen sebeplerin haklı sebep olarak kabul edilip edilmemesi mahkemenin takdirindedir. Yargılama sonucunda mahkemenin şirketin feshine, davacı pay sahiplerinin paylarının değerinin ödenerek şirketten çıkarılmasına veya uygun düşen ve kabul edilebilir diğer bir çözüme karar verme yetkisi bulunmaktadır. Çalışmamız kapsamında anonim şirketin haklı sebeple feshinde haklı sebep teşkil edebilecek durumlar incelenmiştir. Bu inceleme yapılırken kanun metni ve gerekçesi, doktrinde ileri sürülen görüşler ve yargı kararları ile çalışmamız desteklenmiştir. Article 531 of the Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102 regulates the dissolution of a joint stock company for just cause as one of its special grounds for termination. With the introduction of this provision, the debates regarding whether the dissolution of a joint stock company for just cause was possible under the period of the Turkish Commercial Code No. 6762 have been resolved, and the institution of dissolution of a joint stock company for just cause has been incorporated into our legal system. The dissolution of a joint stock company for just cause may be requested by shareholders representing at least one-tenth of the capital, or one-twentieth in publicly traded companies, in the presence of just causes. The lawsuit for the dissolution of a joint stock company for just cause is filed in the commercial court where the company's head office is located. The law does not define the concept of "just cause" in the context of the dissolution of a joint stock company, nor does it provide examples of situations that might constitute just cause. According to the legislative intent, the determination and definition of the characteristics of this concept are left to judicial decisions and legal doctrine. Whether the reasons presented are accepted as just cause is at the discretion of the court. Following the trial, the court has the authority to decide on the dissolution of the company, the payment of the value of the shares to the plaintiff shareholders in exchange for their exit from the company, or another suitable and acceptable solution. This study examines situations that may constitute just cause for the dissolution of a joint stock company for just cause. In this analysis, the text and rationale of the law, views expressed in legal doctrine and judicial decisions have been taken into account.

Serbest piyasada önemli bir işleve sahip anonim şirketlerde, şirkete yeni sermaye sağlamak veya şirketteki mevcut pay sahiplerinin kontrolü elinde tutmak amacıyla imtiyazlı paylar oluşturulur. İmtiyazlı paylar (TTK m.478) ve imtiyazlı pay sahipleri özel kurulu (TTK m.454) ile şirketteki bazı paylara, diğer paylardan farklı ve üstün haklar, koruma mekanizmaları tanınmıştır. Bu çalışma kapsamında imtiyazlı paylar ve imtiyazlı pay sahipleri özel kurulu; 6102 sayılı Türk Ticaret Kanunu'ndaki (TTK) hükümler, mukayeseli hukuktaki düzenlemeler, öğreti görüşleri, Yargıtay kararları ve uygulamadaki sorunlar ele alınarak incelenmiştir. Konumuz ile ilgili tartışmalı hususlar, kanun ve yargı kararlarıyla netlik kazanması beklenen durumlar irdelenerek yeni bir bakış açısı kazandırmak amaçlanmıştır. Bu doğrultuda ''Anonim Şirketlerde İmtiyazlı Paylar ve İmtiyazlı Pay Sahipleri Özel Kurulu'' başlıklı tezimiz dört bölüm olarak hazırlanmıştır. ''İmtiyazlı Paylar'' başlıklı birinci bölümde, imtiyazlı pay kavramı, benzer kavramlar ve anonim şirketlere hakim olan ilkeler ile mukayese edilerek imtiyazlı pay ilkeleri çerçevesinde incelenmiştir. ''İmtiyazlı Pay Çeşitleri'' başlıklı ikinci bölümde, imtiyazlı pay çeşitleri incelenerek, bölümün ana omurgasını oluşturacak şekilde uygulamada en çok tartışılan hususlar olan, oy hakkında imtiyazlı paylar ve yönetim kurulunda temsil edilme hakkında imtiyazlı paylar irdelenmiştir. ''İmtiyazlı Pay Sahipleri Özel Kurulu'' başlıklı üçüncü bölümde imtiyazlı pay sahipleri özel kurulu kavramı, oluşturulma amacı, hukuki niteliği, mukayeseli hukukta imtiyazlı paylar ve imtiyazlı pay sahipleri özel kurulu, imtiyazlı pay sahipleri özel kurulunun toplanma şartları, toplanma süreci, toplanmasını gerektiren kararlar ve toplanmasına gerek olmayan durumlar ele alınarak incelenmiştir. ''İmtiyazlı Pay Sahipleri Özel Kurul Kararlarının Hukuki Etkisi, İptali ve Hükümsüzlüğü'' başlıklı dördüncü bölümde ise imtiyazlı pay sahipleri özel kurulu kararlarına karşı hukuki koruma mekanizmaları incelenmiştir. In joint-stock companies, which have an important function in the free market, privileged shares are created to provide new capital to the company or to maintain the control of the existing shareholders. In the Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102, privileged shares (TTK m. 478) and the special assembly of privileged shareholders (TTK m. 454) are regulated, granting certain shares in the company different and superior rights and protection mechanisms compared to other shares. With in the scope of this study, privileged shares and the special assembly of privileged shareholders have been examined by addressing the provisions of the Turkish Commercial Code No. 6102, comparative law regulations, doctrinal views, Supreme Court decisions, and practical issues. By examining the controversial issues related to our topic and the situations expected to gain clarity through laws and judicial decisions, it is aimed to provide a new perspective. In this context, our thesis titled "Special Shares and Special Shareholders in Joint-Stock Companies" has been prepared in four sections. In the first chapter titled "Preferred Shares," the concept of preferred shares was examined within the framework of preferred share principles by comparing it with similar concepts and the principles governing joint-stock companies. In the second section titled "Types of Preferred Shares," the various types of preferred shares are examined, focusing on the most debated issues in practice, namely, preferred shares with voting rights and preferred shares with representation on the board of directors, which form the main backbone of the section. In the third section titled "Special Assembly of Preferred Shareholders," the concept of the special assembly of preferred shareholders, its purpose of establishment, legal nature, preferred shares in comparative law, and the special assembly of preferred shareholders, the conditions for convening the special assembly of preferred shareholders, the process of convening, decisions requiring a meeting , and situations where a meeting is not necessary have been examined. In the fourth section titled "Legal Effect, Annulment, and Nullity of Preferred Shareholders Special Assembly Decisions," the legal protection mechanisms against the decisions of the preferred shareholders' special assembly are examined.

Le principe de l’autonomie de la clause compromissoire est au cœur du mécanisme de l’arbitrage, tout en demeurant complexe et polyvalent. Cette étude met en lumière les différentes dimensions de ce principe, tout en identifiant ses limites face aux exigences fondamentales de justice et d’ordre public. L’autonomie de la clause compromissoire signifie d’abord que cette clause, bien qu’intégrée dans un contrat principal, existe et survit de manière indépendante. Concrètement, cela veut dire qu’une contestation ou une invalidité du contrat principal n’affecte pas automatiquement la clause compromissoire. Cette indépendance permet aux parties de préserver leur engagement à soumettre les litiges à un tribunal arbitral, offrant ainsi une sécurité juridique et une continuité au processus de résolution des conflits. L’arbitrage repose ici sur un engagement volontaire et anticipé, qui ne saurait être remis en cause par des circonstances affectant le contrat lui-même. Au-delà de cette indépendance, l’évolution du principe d’autonomie a permis d’introduire une autre dimension : la liberté de choix dans les règles qui régissent la clause compromissoire. Cela signifie que les parties ne sont pas nécessairement liées aux règles du contrat principal. Cette forme d’autonomie favorise la flexibilité, permettant aux parties de concevoir une procédure arbitrale adaptée à leurs besoins spécifiques. Cependant, cette liberté rencontre certaines limites, notamment en matière d’ordre public, qui agit comme un rempart pour protéger les valeurs fondamentales de justice et d’équité. Un autre aspect fondamental de ce principe est son interaction avec le concept de compétence-compétence, selon lequel le tribunal arbitral est habilité à statuer sur sa propre compétence. Cette relation étroite entre les deux principes peut créer une certaine confusion, car si l’autonomie de la clause concerne sa validité et son indépendance, la compétence-compétence relève plutôt du pouvoir décisionnel des arbitres. Toutefois, ces deux notions, bien que distinctes, contribuent ensemble à garantir l’efficacité de l’arbitrage en permettant de résoudre rapidement les questions liées à la compétence et à la validité de la clause. L’étude aborde également la transmissibilité de la clause compromissoire, qui pose un défi théorique à l’idée d’autonomie. En cas de cession ou de transfert du contrat principal, la clause compromissoire accompagne généralement le contrat, ce qui semble paradoxal par rapport à son indépendance. Cette apparente contradiction s’explique toutefois par la nécessité pratique d’assurer la continuité des mécanismes d’arbitrage, en particulier dans des situations complexes comme les contrats multipartites ou les groupes d’entreprises. Enfin, le principe d’autonomie, malgré sa robustesse et son importance dans l’arbitrage, demeure encadré. La protection des intérêts fondamentaux des parties les plus vulnérables et des principes essentiels de justice impose des limites nécessaires. L’ordre public joue ici un rôle clé en veillant à ce que la liberté contractuelle ne se traduise pas par une atteinte aux droits fondamentaux ou aux valeurs essentielles de la société. En conclusion, l’autonomie de la clause compromissoire est un instrument essentiel qui garantit la stabilité et l’efficacité de l’arbitrage. Elle repose sur une double dynamique : une indépendance par rapport au contrat principal et une flexibilité permettant aux parties d’organiser librement la procédure arbitrale. Toutefois, cette autonomie doit coexister avec des limites claires pour concilier la liberté contractuelle avec les exigences de justice, assurant ainsi un équilibre nécessaire entre efficacité et protection des principes fondamentaux. The principle of the autonomy of the arbitration clause is central to the arbitration mechanism, while remaining both complex and multifaceted. This study sheds light on the various dimensions of this principle and identifies its limits in the face of fundamental justice and public policy requirements. The autonomy of the arbitration clause primarily signifies that the clause, although incorporated into a principal contract, exists and survives independently. In practical terms, this means that a dispute regarding or the invalidity of the principal contract does not automatically affect the arbitration clause. This independence enables the parties to uphold their agreement to submit disputes to arbitration, thereby ensuring legal certainty and continuity in conflict resolution processes. Arbitration thus rests on a voluntary and preemptive commitment that cannot be undermined by circumstances affecting the main contract. In addition to this independence, the development of the principle of autonomy has introduced another significant aspect: the freedom of the parties to determine the rules governing the arbitration clause. This autonomy allows the parties to deviate from the rules of the principal contract, fostering flexibility and enabling the design of arbitration procedures that meet their specific needs. However, this freedom is not without limits, particularly where public policy intervenes as a safeguard to preserve fundamental principles of justice and fairness. A crucial component of this principle is its interaction with the kompetenz-kompetenz doctrine, which empowers the arbitral tribunal to rule on its own jurisdiction. This close relationship between the two concepts may cause confusion: the autonomy of the arbitration clause concerns its validity and independence, whereas kompetenz-kompetenz pertains to the decision-making authority of arbitrators. Despite their distinctions, both principles collectively enhance the effectiveness of arbitration by facilitating the prompt resolution of jurisdictional and validity-related challenges. This study also explores the issue of the arbitration clause’s transmissibility, which presents a theoretical challenge to the notion of autonomy. In cases where the principal contract is assigned or transferred, the arbitration clause typically follows the contract, creating a seemingly paradoxical situation regarding its independence. This apparent contradiction can, however, be justified by the practical need to maintain the continuity of arbitration mechanisms, particularly in complex contexts such as multiparty contracts or corporate groups. Ultimately, despite its essential role and resilience, the autonomy of the arbitration clause is subject to necessary constraints. The protection of vulnerable parties and the preservation of fundamental principles of justice impose clear limitations. Public policy serves as a crucial safeguard to ensure that contractual freedom does not infringe upon fundamental rights or societal values. In conclusion, the autonomy of the arbitration clause is a cornerstone of arbitration’s stability and effectiveness. It is characterized by independence from the principal contract and the flexibility afforded to the parties in shaping their arbitration proceedings. However, this autonomy must be balanced against clear limits to harmonize contractual freedom with justice requirements, ensuring an essential equilibrium between efficiency and the protection of core principles.

Post-commencement financiers provide a lifeline to companies under business rescue and these financiers have their best interest in the survival of these companies. Should it be that the business rescue plan is unsuccessful, the chances are that the post commencement financiers will be the largest creditors. In Wescoal Mining (Pty) Ltd v Mkhombo NO, a dispute arose regarding the appropriate adoption of a business rescue plan during the meeting. One critical legal issue was whether the Companies Act bestows voting rights exclusively to the company's creditors who existed at the initiation of business rescue, or if creditors accruing after the commencement may also partake in voting on the plan. Following an assessment by Judge Wilson, it was established that only creditors with claims predating the commencement were eligible to participate in the voting process. Subsequently, Judge Wilson believed that section 135 of the Companies Act places post-commencement financiers as creditors in a different class and provides for their protection and interests in a different way. Against this background, the dissertation evaluates the position of post-commencement creditors when it comes to voting on a business rescue plan.

Le brevet est un titre de propriété industrielle, qui confère à son titulaire une exclusivité d’exploitation de l’invention. À l’heure actuelle, il n’existe pas de véritable brevet africain, il existe seulement une procédure d’enregistrement unique auprès de l’organisation africaine de propriété intellectuelle (OAPI). Le brevet africain unitaire est un projet de recherche, inspiré du brevet européen à effet unitaire. Ce brevet permettra l’obtention d’une protection dans tous les pays africains, membres de l’OHADA et l’OAPI, par le biais du dépôt d'une seule demande auprès du nouvel office du brevet africain unitaire (OBAU). L’idée d’instaurer un brevet africain unitaire (BAU) émerge comme une entreprise d’une magnitude cruciale au sein du contexte évolutif de l’essor économique du continent africain. Dans le monde, présentement, il existe plusieurs systèmes de brevets unitaires, notamment celui du CGG, Eurasie, et le brevet européen à effet unitaire qui servira d’ailleurs de modèle pour le brevet africain unitaire. Le BAU est un nouveau titre de propriété intellectuelle, qui consiste à produire un effet juridique attribué à un nouveau titre : le brevet africain unitaire. C’est un nouvel instrument de protection et un droit de propriété intellectuelle, dans la mesure où il nécessite une procédure spécifique de délivrance. De plus, l’effet unitaire ne possède pas une durée déterminée, il naît et disparaît par application des règles particulières. L’une de ses caractéristiques principales est la faculté de fournir une protection uniforme et de produire les mêmes effets dans tous les États membres participants. Il s’agit donc d’une protection unitaire et dont son obtention est soumise à des conditions qui doivent être scrupuleusement respectées pour pouvoir bénéficier des prérogatives octroyées par le BAU. Enfin, son annulation ou sa révocation résulte du droit de l’OHADA et OAPI sur le nouveau brevet africain unitaire. Le développement économique de l’Afrique se trouve indéniablement lié à sa capacité à encourager l’innovation, à protéger les droits de propriété intellectuelle et à exploiter les ressources créatives de ses citoyens. À une période où la préservation des inventions et des innovations se révèle impérative afin de catalyser la croissance économique, l’établissement d’un mécanisme de brevetage harmonisé propose des perspectives considérables. Ce mémoire vise à mettre en lumière l’importance capitale de l’implantation d’un brevet africain unitaire en fournissant une étude approfondie de la problématique. Dans un premier temps, nous étudierons l’état des lieux d’un brevet unifié sur le plan européen et africain puis nous envisagerons dans un second temps la création d’un brevet africain à effet unitaire.

This dissertation critically analyses new generation continental, regional and bilateral investment treaties in Africa with the aim to explore enhancements that could be made thereto in order to enable African citizens to hold investors accountable for investment-related climate change issues in Africa. The main research question answered in the dissertation is: to what extent does African investment treaty practice incorporate climate change-related provisions and investor accountability for climate change. The dissertation analysed traditional investment treaties, particularly noting their silence on climate change and investor accountability, and their partiality to investor protection. Using the AfCFTA Investment Protocol as an anchor alongside other new generation continental, regional and bilateral investment treaties in Africa, it discusses a fundamental contemporary shift in African investment treaty practice towards ensuring sustainable investments and greater investor accountability for sustainability in Africa. It also explores the various limitations in these new generation investment treaties that still make investor accountability. In the end it proposes reforms to the Investor-State Dispute Settlement provisions of these investment treaties to recognise citizen-led arbitral claims against investors, utilising the Hague Rules on Business and Human Rights as the procedural infrastructure for handling arbitration of such claims.

This dissertation on the relationship between the business rescue practitioner and the directors of the company under business rescue. In essence, this dissertation investigates whether a conflict arises between the duties, roles and powers of the business rescue practitioner and those of directors of the financially distressed company. The aim of this dissertation is to study what are the limitation on duties, roles and powers of directors of the company as a result of the appointment of the business rescue practitioner and the extent thereof. In achieving the above objective, this dissertation commences with setting out the background of business rescue proceedings in South Africa by analysing provisions of Chapter 6 of the Companies Act 71 of 2008 which has introduced “a new corporate rescue procedure” in South Africa, being business rescue. The focus is on provisions dealing with duties, roles and powers of directors in the ordinary course as set out in section 66, 75 to 77 of the Act. The focus then shifts to the provisions dealing with the commencement of business rescue proceedings, the appointment of the business rescue practitioner and his duties, roles and powers. In order to establish whether a conflict truly exists between the duties, roles and powers, various sources dealing with this issue are considered. In order to assess whether there are solutions in dealing with the conflict and/or limitation that arises, this dissertation includes a comparative study on selected foreign jurisdictions dealing with the interaction between the board of directors and business rescue practitioner are considered. In particular, this dissertation considers corporate rescue mechanisms in the Commonwealth of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The purpose of the comparative study is to determine which lessons can be learned from the practices in the aforementioned jurisdictions. The overall objective of this study is to determine how the South African legal framework pertaining to the interaction between directors and business rescue practitioners can be enhanced.

Despite the emergence of corporate governance as a formal discipline more than thirty years ago, the proliferation internationally of scholarly work on the topic and its formal regulation over this period, the scope, definition and direction of corporate governance remain contested. Company theories could potentially assist in this regard but have been inconsistent in their explanations of the both the means and ends of corporate governance. This has led to scepticism about the efficacy of theories to illuminate the phenomena associated with companies and company law. Notwithstanding, theory is critical as it makes explicit what is implicit in policymaking by regulators, as well as in the behaviour and decision-making by corporate actors, so that regulation and decisions are transparent for analysis and evaluation. The study, therefore, set out to provide a synthesis and doctrinal analysis of the main theories on the nature and general purpose of corporations in historical context. It was found that objections can be raised against all of these theories to a greater or lesser extent for inaccurate portrayal of the law, limited explanatory power and detachment from the real word. This study shows that corporate theories are a product of the settings in which they have developed and consequently none of these theories represents a universal or absolute truth, nor are they an inevitability due to widespread adoption and use. This leaves room for new formulations of the corporate form and its purpose fit for today’s context with its political, social and environmental challenges. This dissertation also includes further directions for theoretical exploration.

This paper constitutes a composite analysis of the legal framework and procedures for removing directors and the key challenges presented by the framework. It achieves this by looking at four legal questions: Firstly, it looks into what is the legal framework for director removal in South Africa, secondly, it delves into the challenges and/or uncertainties presented by this process, and further explores if there are any possible learnings South Africa can learn from foreign jurisdiction.

Informal social security is a non-governmental form of social security between kin and/or community members and is a prevalent practice in South Africa. The question this dissertation analyses is whether the South African government fails in its constitutional duty to protect and advance informal social security. The dissertation limits itself to analysing cash transfers through social grants, and social insurance in the Unemployment Insurance Act and the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act. This dissertation delineates its definition of informal social security, historically contextualises its practice, and explains the contemporary formal social security framework. This dissertation finds five prominent shortcomings in the formal framework, and that these shortcomings have a profoundly negative, weakening effect on informal social security, as the more people who rely on informal mechanisms, the less it can respond to needs arising from life contingencies, shocks, and risks. The dissertation concludes by analysing three legal reform proposals the state can implement: extending existing social insurance frameworks to those in the informal sector, promoting cooperatives as a formal platform for the informal, and the basic income grant.

The work proposes to investigate the extension of collaboration contracts through traditional tools that rely on the classic contractual model based on exchange and whether these solutions are more suitable for this type of contract. The theory of contracts is to assist in the task of understanding the specifics and the environment of business collaboration contracts and the prospect of terminating the relationship due to the lack of collaboration, based either on default or on the impossibility of the performance itself in the interest of the creditor. In collaboration contracts, collaboration is, by the very definition of these contracts, the main obligation, integral to the core of the contractual object. It is collaboration that is one of the other obligations, allowing the configuration of the common project as a contract. In this type of relationship, the binomial provision and consideration is multifaceted, as are the positions of creditor and debtor. In this context, the study of these collaboration contracts requires a more comprehensive and complex view of the institutes that, originally, were formulated for a tight exchange relationship and for well-defined contractual positions. What we intend to confirm in this research is that the lack of collaboration, in this type of contract, can lead to positive violation or absolute default, which must be determined according to the interest of the creditor which, in corporate contracts, has to do with the economic function, with its own contractual program. Given the difficulty of characterizing a positive breach of the contract or, even more so, absolute default, the investigation also encompasses a broadening of the perspectives of the default itself, to conclude that the performance ultimately serves the interest of the creditor (understood in an amplified position) and can only be read from the economic function of the business. When collaboration between the parties is no longer possible, the specific execution of obligations appears useless and involving.

This dissertation investigates the impact of digital transformation on risk management within the banking sector, emphasizing the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing operational risk management. It examines key research questions about how digitisation reshapes risk management practices, the extent to which South African banks align with international standards, and the role of AI in advancing these frameworks. The study finds that AI holds substantial potential to improve risk management, particularly in managing operational risks, while underscoring the indispensable role of human oversight. Ultimately, this shift toward a more AI-driven, adaptive approach marks a pivotal evolution in the financial sector, suggesting that the future of risk management can indeed rely on AI's transformative capabilities.

Esta dissertação tem como objetivo analisar, de forma aprofundada, os principais limites e desafios do plano de recuperação judicial alternativo, cuja legitimidade de apresentação é dos credores e subsidiária à do devedor, instrumento que foi introduzido nas recuperações judiciais apenas recentemente, por meio das alterações promovidas pela Lei no 14.112/2020 na Lei no 11.101/2005 (legislação de insolvência empresarial brasileira). Inicialmente, será explorado o contexto e os motivos que levaram o legislador pátrio a substituir o Decreto-Lei no 7.661/1945, regramento de insolvência que vigeu no Brasil por quase 60 (sessenta anos), por um novo modelo de reestruturação empresarial com natureza e objetivos completamente distintos. Serão feitas, então, breves considerações sobre os processos que sucederam a concordata, a recuperação extrajudicial e a recuperação judicial, destacando o fato de que foi por meio desta última que se recuperou a primazia da negociação, e os credores passaram a ser os principais responsáveis por decidir o destino da empresa em crise. Será feita, então, a análise do plano de recuperação judicial, principal documento e objetivo primário do processo, sua natureza jurídica, conteúdo obrigatório, liberdade de meios de reestruturação, procedimento para a sua aprovação e os limites que devem ser observados. Traçados os seus contornos principais, adentrar-se-á no estudo da sua modalidade alternativa, que pode ser apresentada pelos credores apenas de forma subsidiária e em determinada situações, que serão enfrentadas. Feito isso, serão investigados os limites do plano alternativo de credores que, além dos próprios limites que já incidem sobre o plano do devedor (uma vez que se altera apenas a legitimidade para a sua apresentação), outros específicos que devem igualmente ser observados quando de sua apresentação. Além disso, será demonstrado que, além dos limites legais, existem, ainda, diversos outros desafios de ordem prática que limitam a aplicação dos planos alternativos, especialmente diante das lacunas legais existentes, fazendo com que a sua aplicação prática permaneça ainda restrita, e muito aquém do que foi idealizado pelo legislador. Por fim, considerando que os planos alternativos são um importante instrumento que pode viabilizar a apresentação de propostas melhores pelos devedores (sob pena de ser-lhes imposto um plano de cuja elaboração não participou e cujo conteúdo muito provavelmente não concordará) e tornar mais céleres os processos de recuperação judicial, melhorias na legislação são imprescindíveis, e são feitas sugestões que podem servir como esboço para tanto. This dissertation aims to analyze, in depth, the main limits and challenges to the alternative judicial plan of reorganization, whose presentation legitimacy belongs to the creditors and is subsidiary to the debtor\'s, an instrument that was introduced in judicial reorganizations only recently, through the amendments promoted by Law No. 14,112/2020 in Law No. 11,101/2005 (Brazilian corporate insolvency legislation). Initially, it will be explored the context and reasons that led the Brazilian legislator to replace Decree-Law No. 7,661/1945, an insolvency rule that was in force in Brazil for almost 60 (sixty years), with a new model of business restructuring with a completely different nature and objectives. Brief considerations will then be made on the processes that succeed concordata, extrajudicial reorganization and judicial reorganization, pointing out the fact that it was through the latter that the primacy of negotiation was regained, and creditors became the main responsible for deciding the fate of the company in crisis. An analysis will then be made of the judicial reorganization plan, the main document and primary objective of the reorganization process, its legal nature, mandatory content, freedom of restructuring means, procedure for its approval and the limits that must be observed. With its main contours pointed out, its alternative modality will then be studied, which can be presented by creditors only in a subsidiary way and in certain situations, which will be analyzed. Once this is done, other specific limits to the creditors alternative plan of reorganization will be investigated, in addition to the limits that already affect the debtor\'s plan (since only the legitimacy for its presentation changes). Furthermore, it will be demonstrated that, in addition to legal limits, there are also several other practical challenges to the alternative plans of reorganization that restrict their application, especially given the existing legal gaps, which is yet far lower than what was idealized by legislator. Finally, considering that alternative plans are an important instrument that can force debtors to present better proposals (under penalty of being imposed a plan that they did not elaborate and whose content they most likely will not agree with) and optimize the judicial reorganization processes, improvements in legislation are essential, and suggestions that can serve as an outline for this are made.

Esta Dissertação examina a figura do acionista controlador à luz do contexto da recuperação judicial, com ênfase na legislação brasileira, especialmente a Lei no 11.101/2005, que regula a recuperação de empresas no Brasil. A recuperação judicial é um instrumento jurídico que visa viabilizar a superação de uma crise econômico-financeira da empresa devedora, garantindo a sua continuidade e preservação da função social. Ao mesmo tempo em que o acionista controlador mantém a sua posição de direito após o ajuizamento da recuperação judicial, essa nova situação em que a companhia se encontra poderá alterar de maneira substancial a forma e contornos do exercício do seu poder de controle, seja por força de disposições legais ou pelo surgimento de agentes externos que passarão a ter maior influência nos negócios da companhia, como a coletividade de credores. A fim de analisar as raízes por trás dessas interferências, a Dissertação parte inicialmente de uma investigação da evolução histórica do tratamento legal do acionista controlador no Brasil, tanto do prisma do direito societário quanto do direito falimentar. Em um segundo momento, o trabalho se debruça sobre os impactos específicos da recuperação judicial na atividade do acionista controlador, sempre em comparação entre o que se espera e se observa do comportamento do acionista controlador em situações normal da atividade da companhia. Por fim, serão apresentadas as conclusões extraídas do estudo. This work examines the figure of the controlling shareholder in the context of judicial reorganization, with an emphasis on Brazilian legislation, especially the Brazilian Bankruptcy Act n. 11,101/2005, which regulates the reorganization of companies in Brazil. Judicial reorganization is a legal instrument that aims to make it possible to overcome an economic and financial crisis of the debtor company, guaranteeing its continuity and preserving its social function. While the controlling shareholder retains its position after the filing of the judicial reorganization, this new situation in which the company finds itself can substantially alter the form and contours of the exercise of its power of control, either by virtue of legal provisions or by the emergence of external agents who will have greater influence on the company's business, such as the collectivity of creditors. In order to analyze the roots behind these interferences, the work begins by investigating the historical evolution of the legal treatment of the controlling shareholder in Brazil, both from the perspective of Corporate Law and Bankruptcy Law. Secondly, the work focuses on the specific impacts of judicial reorganization on the activity of the controlling shareholder, always comparing with what is expected and observed of the controlling shareholder's behavior in the company's normal activity. Finally, the conclusions drawn from the study will be presented.

Les entreprises publiques congolaises ont fait l'objet de réformes en juillet 2008, car elles n'atteignaient pas les objectifs qui leur avaient été assignés en termes de contribution à l'économie nationale et de réponse aux problèmes sociaux de la communauté. Certaines ont été transformées en établissements publics ou en sociétés commerciales, tandis que d'autres ont été dissoutes et liquidées. Cependant, la question de l'orientation stratégique des sociétés commerciales publiques congolaises au regard de ces objectifs reste posée. Ces entreprises mettent-elles en place les outils de management stratégique nécessaires pour les atteindre ? Cette étude visait donc à analyser l'effectivité et la performance du management stratégique dans ce secteur, ainsi que son mécanisme opérationnel, en prenant le cas de l'entreprise LMC SA. Plusieurs outils techniques ont été utilisés, notamment l'analyse documentaire et des entretiens semi-directifs. Les résultats montrent un certain déficit dans la planification stratégique de ces entreprises, notamment au niveau de la gestion des ressources humaines, matérielles et financières. Sur la base de ces constats, l'étude formule quelques recommandations managériales : • Restructuration des prérogatives de l'organe de gouvernance ; • Réévaluation du capital humain et réduction des postes en trop ; • Allocation objective des ressources financières grâce à une démarche de benchmark.

Rules of origin play a pivotal role in free trade agreements. Apart from serving as a tool to distinguish goods by determining the nationality of a product, rules of origin have the capacity to increase trade relations or deter it. Of course, it is the hope of any viable state to increase profitable trading relations, and if rules of origin can help with that, it becomes expedient to fully understand how these rules of origin operate. In Africa, we see rules of origin being implemented amongst the Regional Economic Communities (RECs), but this has come with many struggles. In fact, low intra-African trade can be narrowed down to complex rules of origin regimes deployed in regional agreements in Africa. As of date, the major RECs have each implemented different rules of origin, leading to the co-existence of conflicting rules of origin across Africa. This non-uniformity in the rules of origin regimes in Africa has resulted in low continental trade in Africa. As such, these RECs have not yielded the expected increase in intra-African trade. With the creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which currently doubles as the latest and largest FTA in Africa, it is expected that better rules of origin will be deployed to mitigate the existing intra-African trade deficits. This thesis thus deploys a doctrinal approach in determining whether AfCFTA’s rules of origin are positioned to achieve greater intra-African trade. Consequently, this thesis uncovers some lapses in AfCFTA’s rules of origin and calls for harmonization of all the rules of origin in Africa and recommends a possible amendment to Article 19 of the Agreement establishing AfCFTA to accommodate the intended harmonization.

Il est un fait peu contestable que le développement durable, en tant que sujet d’actualité mondiale, prend une place de plus en plus centrale des discussions ayant cours dans un monde de plus en plus industrialisé et globalisé. Dans cette nouvelle ère où les défis environnementaux, économiques, sociaux, culturels ou encore climatiques se multiplient et se complexifient, il devient de plus en plus primordial d’axer les réflexions internationales vers un meilleur équilibre des croissances de chacun, le tout, en tenant compte des enjeux de durabilité. C’est dans ce contexte que s’inscrit le présent mémoire, axé sur la mise en lumière de l’importance des enjeux environnementaux et de transparence à travers les procédures et les jurisprudences de l’arbitrage du Centre international pour le règlement des différends relatifs aux investissements (CIRDI). Le présent argumentaire visera donc à apporter un éclairage nouveau sur les défis auxquels le CIRDI est confronté dans l’intégration des principes de développement durable et de transparence, notamment, dans ses décisions, à travers les implications des normes internationales sur le comportement des États et des investisseurs. Ce mémoire s'adresse ainsi principalement à ceux qui s'intéressent aux développements du droit international des investissements et de la durabilité des conséquences que ce dernier permet. Il vise aussi à contribuer au débat en proposant des recommandations concrètes permettant un alignement optimal des pratiques du CIRDI avec celles d’autres organes d’arbitrage nationaux et internationaux et avec les exigences de transparence et de durabilité.