Bibliographie sélective OHADA

Disparities in national laws are likely to result in uncertainty which, in turn, creates obstacles to international commerce. It is acknowledged that strong investment flows cannot be achieved without a secure legal and commercial environment. Mindful of such a need, states decided to harmonise sales law internationally. To this end, in 1980 they adopted the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods known as the Vienna Sales Convention or the CISG. The CISG has led a number of countries, including the Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa (OHADA) law states, to modernise their local sales law. However, only three of 17 countries that constitute the OHADA community have ratified the CISG. OHADA law countries give the impression of favouring a more regional approach to the unification of sales law rather than the CISG’s global approach by implementing a local Commercial Uniform Act. Their indifference towards the CISG is not without consequences for commerce in the OHADA region. This article seeks to demonstrate that the lack of ratification of a universal convention, as for example the CISG, poses a danger to commercial dealings. It also intends to show that the CISG is not hostile to regional uniform sales laws of the OHADA Commercial Uniform Act type. It concludes that OHADA countries do not need to be afraid of their acceptance of the CISG and recommends that it be ratified.

This article explores the possible modification of the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration (MAL) to include the topic of arbitrability. This is an area in which the domestic legal systems differ, particularly in relation to the arbitrability of intra-corporate disputes. The article also deals with new art 2A, introduced into the Model Law in 2006, which deals with the interpretation and gap-filling system under the Model Law. The interpretation of MAL in accordance with its international character is a very important step towards uniformity and therefore the different tools required for a uniform interpretation are analysed. These include case law and scholarly writings; the meaning and importance of achieving both a uniform and an international interpretation of MAL are also considered. The article also analyses the whole text of MAL in order to arrive at the general principles on which the Model Law is based; when problems have to be solved, these principles should guide issues of interpretation that arise under this law.

This article investigates whether regional harmonisation is merely an academic exercise or a serious attempt to create a uniform contract law in a defined region. It builds on the recently conducted Symposium at Villanova University in 2013 and addresses comparatively the efforts by well-defined regions, namely OHADA, the EU and ASEAN. OHADA has introduced regional uniform laws; the EU is still working on formulating them. Furthermore, UNCITRAL has considered a proposal by the Swiss government to work urgently on a new initiative to further harmonise contract law. Against this backdrop, this article argues that regional proposals to harmonise contract law are akin to saying that ‘ein Gespenst geht um’ (a ghost is going around) (Reich 2006: 425). This is justified, because a proposal to create a harmonised contract law in East Asia has currently also been discussed, but the discussions have stalled. Is there a solution or do we simply admit that regional harmonisation is not possible? The starting point is the CISG, as has been adopted by 80 countries and needs to be considered by any region as a possible, albeit not perfect, solution. If the CISG has already been ratified, the issue, then, is how any regional developments can coexist with it. Or does a ratification of the CISG preclude any regional harmonisation? Secondly, the question must be asked whether regional harmonisation will reduce transaction costs, which is beyond what the CISG was able to achieve. This article argues that as far as the drafting of international instruments isconcerned, a shift in thinking has occurred. Instruments such as the Cape Town Convention are considered to be reforming the law in a particular narrow area rather than attempting to draft codes. Furthermore, the process is driven by industry groups. Regional harmonisation must take note of the ongoing shift and a more fruitful approach is to develop uniform laws through a better understanding and coordination of existing instruments.

Growth in international trade has led to considerable expansion of the scope of matters capable of settlement by arbitration. In spite of sustained scholarly activity on arbitrability, the question of what is arbitrable remains controversial but relevant in many regions of the world, including Africa. Arbitrability has the potential to affect the validity of an arbitration agreement, strip an arbitrator of jurisdiction, or derail enforcement of an award. Given the significance of the concept, it is vital that entities involved in international transactions do not speciously extrapolate knowledge of what pertains in Europe and America across all jurisdictions and regions of the world. This study draws a comparison between arbitrability and its relationship with public policy in Europe and America on one hand, and the trend in Africa in an attempt to critically investigate the extent to which African states are willing to extend the scope of arbitrable subject matters. A number of trends on arbitrability are discernible. Most commercial disputes are arbitrable and this observation generally aligns with practice in Europe and America. Beyond this, there are three significant differences in the areas of scope of subject matter, approaches to arbitrability regulation and the role of public policy.

Il s’agit de revêtir le manteau du législateur africain pour rechercher le profil idéal de l’un des contrats d’affaires le plus utilisé aujourd’hui dans la pratique en Afrique mais sans faire forcément l’objet d’une réglementation adaptée. Lors de la dernière conférence des chefs d’Etat des pays membres de l’OHADA au Burkina Faso en janvier 2014, le crédit-bail a été retenu entre autres contrats d’affaires comme l’un des principaux axes d’un projet d’Acte uniforme. Dans les pays d’Afrique où l’épargne locale est quasi-inexistante, le crédit- bail est un moyen incontournable pour les TPE et PME disposant de très peu de fonds propres et qui ont difficilement accès au crédit bancaire, faute de garanties suffisantes, pour développer leur activité économique.

Francophone African countries have made a tremendous effort in harmonising domestic standards and reporting with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Moving from two distinct OCAM streams to two OHADA streams (effective 1985) and now one OHADA Uniform Accounting Act embodying 17 member countries (effective 2001) is a milestone towards harmonisation of reporting practice both domestically and internationally. This empirical study examines whether the effort of harmonisation, especially after the 2001 standards has resulted in the successful convergence of firms' accounting practices by analysing public limited liability companies' compliance with the OHADA Uniform Accounting Act and if such compliance has improved over time. The study has been carried out using the 2008 and 2009 annual reports of three public limited companies in the OHADA zone that translate their financial statements into IFRS. The ranks of closeness and compliance index have been used to analyse data. Findings reveal a relatively high level of compliance with the accounting regulation by sampling limited liability companies. The results also give an indication of harmonisation in accounting practice of limited companies within member countries as they were found to be substantially consistent in compliance, especially in countries that have instituted the Statistics and Tax returns (or "DSF") as a reporting medium.

« Au commencement était l’Afrique ». Cette évocation, que continuent d’étayer les découvertes successives de fossiles d’Australopithèques, est à la Commission de l’Union africaine l’indication des origines temporelle et géographique de « l’immense aventure humaine du progrès ». Le continent, tout autant exposé aux phases contemporaines de l’équipée, entendues particulièrement des développements technologiques, a engagé plusieurs initiatives d’accompagnement dont l’une des plus récentes, promue par l’Union africaine, vise à doter ses 54 États membres d’une convention instituant un cadre juridique de confiance pour la cybersécurité. Il y a, dans cette convention, l’ambition triple d’organiser les transactions électroniques, d’assurer la protection des données à caractère personnel et de lutter contre la cybercriminalité. D’un point de vue prospectif, les auteurs apprécient l’effectivité de la convention eu égard à la question spécifique du commerce électronique, en tentant de déterminer si, dans sa forme comme dans sa substance, cet instrument a les moyens de satisfaire aux préoccupations de sécurité juridique et technique des différents milieux concernés.

Resumo: Este artigo versa sobre a prática da mediação incidental no processo do trabalho e sua potencial contribuição para a efetiva solução de conflitos decorrentes da dispensa de trabalhadores dotados de garantia provisória do emprego. Acusa o uso desordenado da conciliação incidental, indiscriminadamente aplicada na solução de conflitos individuais situados no âmbito de relações trabalhistas, tanto circunstanciais quanto continuadas. Busca responder ao seguinte problema de pesquisa: a prática da mediação judicial incidental na Justiça do Trabalho pode contribuir para a efetiva solução de conflitos decorrentes da dispensa do trabalhador dotado de garantia provisória do emprego? Estabelece as bases do fenômeno da difusão dos métodos alternativos de solução de conflitos, no contexto do movimento universal de acesso à justiça. Desenvolve considerações sobre particularidades da conciliação e da mediação, destacando os aspectos principais de distinção entre elas. Finalmente, avalia a aplicação dos métodos autocompositivos, considerando as particularidades das controvérsias decorrentes da dispensa de trabalhadores dotados de garantia provisória no emprego. Conclui que, por objetivar a exploração aprofundada dos interesses em jogo, o fortalecimento do diálogo e da relação entre as partes, além do empoderamento dos envolvidos, a mediação judicial incidental seria a via mais adequada para a administração de conflitos decorrentes da dispensa de trabalhadores com garantia provisória do emprego. Além isso, evidencia uma proposição legislativa sobre o tema, já submetida à apreciação da Comissão de Juristas responsável pela elaboração do Anteprojeto de Lei de Arbitragem e Mediação, do Senado Federal.

The paper deals with arbitration law in Ivory Coast and is mainly based on interviews with the most important authorities in this field. After a short introduction into the OHADA legal system the two main arbitration centres of Ivory Coast are presented. First, the paper treats the internationally known OHADA arbitration centre of the Common Court of Justice and Arbitration, hereinafter known as CCJA. It explains the bodies and the organisation of the CCJA, the arbitration procedure in detail, the enforcement of the arbitral award, the interim measures and the legal remedies against decisions of the CCJA. Second, the functioning of the Court of Arbitration of Côte d'Ivoire, hereinafter known as CACI, is explained. It is the second arbitration centre of Ivory Coast and it was created by the Ivorian Chamber of Industry and Commerce and settles mainly disputes between nationals. The analysis treats the same topics as mentioned for the CCJA centre, but is restricted to point out the differences or peculiarities of the CACI procedure, in order to prevent repetitions. Third, the paper analyses the advantages and disadvantages of the two arbitration centres and compares them to the proceedings of the Commercial Court of Abidjan. It avoids the comparison of yet well-known arguments such as confidentiality of arbitration proceedings or the parties' free choice in regard to the place of arbitration and the language, etc. The work rather limits itself to concretely address the problems or the advantages of each dispute solution considering the latest developments in the judicial system. The purpose of the report is to give a practical introduction into the Ivorian arbitration law, in particular to foreign lawyers. It should provide them with solid theoretical knowledge of the different dispute solutions. With the help of concrete comparisons and explanations of the actual situation regarding the civil and commercial judicial system it should enable them to find the most suitable dispute solution for their clients.

The aim of this article is to explore Cappelletti’s most enduring teachings relevant to those who promote global or regional integration of private laws. The article will review Cappelletti’s insights into the dynamic history of law, the need to respect diversity and take into account society’s imbalances, and the duty of comparative lawyers to engage in “applied” interdisciplinary legal research.

Uzun bir suredir, bircok Afrikali devlet, ulkelerine yapilan yabanci yatirimin istenilen seviyeye ulasmamasindan yakinmakta olup, bunun baslica nedeninin ise “hukuk duzen- lerindeki belirsizlik ve istikrarsiz oldugunu tespit etmislerdir. Bunun sonucunda, bolge devletlerinin hukuk duzenlerini uyumlastirma(daha dogru bir ifadeyle yeknesaklastirma) yoluyla yeni bir “birlesik hukuk” yaratilmasi bir ihtiyac olarak belirmistir. Iste bu amacla bircok Afrikali devlet, ozellikle de Frank Bolgesi devletleri, 07.10.1993 tarihinde Port- Louis’de(Mauritus) bir uluslararasi sozlesme imzalayarak Afrika’da Ekonomi Hukuku Uyumlastirilmasi Orgutu’nu (OHADA) kurmuslardir. OHADA’nin temel amaci, Afrika’da Ekonomi Hukuku alaninda modern ve uyumlu bir hukuk yaratilarak bolge devletleri ara- sinda bu alanda hukuki entegrasyonun saglanmasidir. Bu makale, Sozlesme’nin tarihsel arka planini, temel amaci ve yontemini, cografi ve maddi kapsamini, yeknesak islemlerin temel ozellikleri ve kabul edilme usulunu, OHADA’nin kurumlari olan Devlet ve Hukumet Baskanlari Konferansi, Bakanlar Konseyi, Ortak Adalet ve Tahkim Mahkemesi, Daimi Sek- reterlik ve Bolgesel Yuksek Hakimlik Okulunu (ERSUMA) ve OHADA’nin Afrika’daki diger ekonomik ve parasal birlikler arasindaki yerini an hatlariyla tanitmayi amaclamaktadir. Anahtar Kelimeler: OHADA, Afrika, Ekonomi Hukuku, hukuki entegrasyon, uluslar arasi sozlesme.

Corruption has widely been recognized as one of the impediments to the socio-economic cum political development of Nigeria. By 2000, it was observed that the conduct of government business in Nigeria had become difficult and expensive due to pervasive corruption, particularly procurement fraud. Although procurement fraud is one of the most common avenues of corruption in most countries, its incidence in Nigeria by 2000 was particularly widespread. To reverse this ugly trend, the Nigerian government initiated the public procurement reforms with a view that a corrupt-free procurement process will among other things, promote economic development in the country. Consequent upon the reform, the Public Procurement Act was enacted while the Bureau of Public Procurement was established to ensure due process, accountability and transparency in the award of government contract. In this light, this study evaluated the impact of the public procurement reforms on the economic development of Nigeria. We relied on documentary method of data collection and content analysis of data. Meanwhile, employing the basic propositions emanating from the Marxist theory of the Post-Colonial State, this study noted that the nature and character of Nigerian state undermined the procurement reform from achieving its expected goals. We however, recommended for the removal of the immunity in the constitution and strengthening of the anti-graft agencies in Nigeria.

Audit quality has been evaluated in academic literature accordingly with auditor qualities, due to the difficulties of observing auditing technical process itself. The qualities of a good auditor are then competence and independence, sine qua none conditions of audit quality. That approach is otherwise valid only if there is a valuable framework like stock market where auditor’s competence and independence could be observed. In OHADA space countries, the financial market is approximately off. It is therefore impossible to assess audit quality the way it has been done in prior literature. This study suggests a new approach of assessing audit quality in OHADA countries in relation with audit committees member’s perception of auditing process. Using an innovative qualitative approach inspired from Manita (2008), the results suggest to take into account the auditor’s knowledge of the company, the relevance of the identified zone of risks and the degree of communication with the board of directors.

An emerging question in U.S. business law is how the organizational documents of a business entity set the rules for resolving internal disputes. This practice is routine in commercial contracts, which may specify where or how disputes must be resolved. Recent use of litigation provisions in corporation charters and bylaws have sparked controversy, ultimately leading to legislative action to preserve shareholder suits from contractual waiver. Yet despite accounting for the majority of business organizations and sharing features with corporations, non-corporate business entities and their internal dispute resolution process have been largely ignored. How do these non-corporate entities set ex ante rules for resolving disputes among their constituents? This paper begins to map this uncharted area with an empirical study of the practice of limited liability companies (LLCs). We find widespread use of contract to alter the default dispute resolution practices. This study helps not only to inform the evolving statutory and judicial framework for LLC regulation, but also to predict how corporations may respond in the future to recent judicial and legislative changes.

L’organisation pour l’harmonisation du droit des affaires (OHADA), dans le cadre de sa mission d’uniformisation du droit des affaires en Afrique, a adopté le 17 avril 1997, l’Acte uniforme portant droit des sociétés commerciales et du groupement d’intérêt économique. Ce texte a connu une réforme d’envergure entrée en vigueur le 05 mai 2014. Dans sa lettre et dans son esprit, le nouveau texte transcrit le droit positif des sociétés commerciales tel qu’il existe en France. La tendance forte chez le législateur Ohada à se conformer au droit de l’Ancienne Métropole remet cependant au goût du jour la question du mimétisme juridique, tant décriée par la doctrine. Son opportunité, notamment dans un domaine, qui, tel que le droit des sociétés commerciales, est soumis à de constantes variations, serait largement sujette à caution. De nouvelles analyses démontrent, toutefois, que, loin de réduire l’importance ou l’originalité du droit communautaire des sociétés, la question du conformisme législatif doit être envisagée sous le prisme de l’inévitable rapprochement entre les différents systèmes juridiques. Ce faisant, il devient l’indispensable acteur de la mondialisation du droit.