The African Institute of International Law

What The African Institute of International Law does

The African Institute of International Law (AIIL) is a non-profit educational and research institution headquartered at the Arusha International Conference Centre in Arusha, Tanzania. Founded in 2015 and governed by a Curatorium, it is dedicated to delivering training, teaching, and research in international law and African Union law for African legal professionals. Its core offerings include the African Law Seminar (a free online training program conducted with the African Union Office of the Legal Counsel and the UN Office of Legal Affairs), the International Law Seminar for African Universities, the annual Summer Academy on the Continental Shelf, the Kilimanjaro Summer Academy on African Union Law, and topical workshops covering investment law, arbitration, human rights, women's rights, and African treaty ratification. It also runs the African Law Schools Project, distributing hard-copy legal materials to law faculties across 30 African countries to bridge the digital divide.

AIIL's intellectual property portfolio is anchored by the African Law Series — the most comprehensive publicly available compilation of OAU and AU legal instruments — comprising the African Law Handbook, African Treaty Collection (1963-2022), OAU Declarations/Resolutions/Decisions (1963-2002), AU Declarations/Resolutions/Decisions (2002-2023), and an International Criminal Law publication. Training is led by Rector Judge Fatsah Ouguergouz (former ICJ Secretary and African Court Vice-President), supported by Vice-Rectors, a Programme Manager, an Accountant, and a Librarian — a lean team of roughly five staff. The Institute has trained approximately 1,534 people across 42 African countries as of 2024.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through voluntary contributions from AU member states and international donors rather than commercial sales; the 2016 International Law Seminar was jointly funded by the African Union, China, Finland, Italy, New Zealand, and Sweden, and more recent programming has been supported by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. A small number of workshops charge nominal registration fees (e.g., $30 for the 2023 Women's Rights Workshop) and publications are offered free for academic, non-commercial use. Participants and sending institutions typically bear their own travel costs. The business model is therefore a hybrid of donor-funded capacity-building plus a minimal contribution from individual workshop fees.

Name

The African Institute of International Law

Legal name

African Institute of International Law

Website

https://aiil-iadi.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The African Institute of International Law is a Tanzania-based non-profit that delivers free training, research, and publications in international and African Union law to African lawyers, judges, diplomats, and law students across 42 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Law Education and Training

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), National Security and International Affairs (928), Business and Secretarial Schools (61141)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Legal Services (8111), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Rule of Law, Justice & Corrections Support in Conflict Settings (BPADAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

United Nations System & Specialized Agencies (BPADAAAA)

Keywords

• International law education
• Legal capacity building
• African Union law
• Professional legal training
• Legal publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Arusha

HQ country

Tanzania

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Voluntary Contributions from Member States: The institute receives funding through voluntary contributions from African Union member states and international donors. The 2016 International Law Seminar was funded by contributions from African Union ($20,000), China ($20,000), Finland ($20,000), Italy ($20,000), New Zealand (NZ $30,000), and Sweden ($25,000).
2. Workshop Registration Fees: Some workshops charge nominal registration fees. For example, the 2023 Women's Rights Workshop had a $30 registration fee. State representatives cover their own travel and accommodation.
3. Publication Access: African Law Series publications available free of charge for academic, non-commercial use on the AIIL website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The African Institute of International Law (AIIL) is an African non-profit educational and research institution that delivers international law training programs (online seminars, summer academies, and specialized workshops) and publishes the African Law Series covering Organization of African Unity and African Union legal instruments. Its services are aimed at African lawyers, law students, judges, diplomats, and government officials and are offered free of charge or at nominal fees through partnerships with the African Union and UN Office of Legal Affairs.

Product overview

The African Institute of International Law (AIIL) is an educational and research institution offering a portfolio of training programs, publications, and projects focused on international law, African Union law, and public law in Africa. Its core offerings include: (1) Training Programs — the African Law Seminar (online), International Law Seminar for African Universities, Summer Academy on the Continental Shelf, Kilimanjaro Summer Academy on African Union Law, China-Africa Law Forum, and specialized workshops on investment law, women's rights, and treaty ratification; (2) Publications — the African Law Series (including the African Law Handbook, African Treaty Collection, OAU and AU Declarations/Resolutions/Decisions spanning 1963-2023), and International Criminal Law materials; and (3) Projects — the African Law Schools Project providing legal resources to law faculties across 30 African countries. All publications are available free of charge for academic, non-commercial use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,534 people trained across 42 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• African UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 August 2016AIIL conducts programs in cooperation with the African Union. The AU has endorsed the African Law Seminar and African Law Schools Project as contributions to the AU theme of the year 2024 'Educate an African Fit for the 21st Century'. AIIL operates under the framework of the UN Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law.
• United Nations Office of Legal Affairs, Codification DivisioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 August 2016Conducts International Law Seminar for African Universities in cooperation with UN Codification Division to mark 50th anniversary of UN Programme of Assistance in Teaching International Law. Programs held under the UN Programme framework.
• Xiamen Academy of International LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a useful link and partner institution, indicating cooperation in international law education.
• African Foundation For International Law (AFIL-FADI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as useful resource partner. Judge Fatsah Ouguergouz is a founding member and former Executive Director of AFIL-FADI based in The Hague.
• African Court of Human and Peoples' RightsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as useful link partner. AIIL is located in Arusha where the Court is based, facilitating cooperation.
• African Union Office of the Legal CounselcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrepared African Law Series and African Law Handbook in cooperation with the AU Office of the Legal Counsel.
• African Arbitration Association (AfAA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with AfAA to organize online workshops on international investment law in Africa.
• Xiamen University School of LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of China-Africa Law Forum with AIIL. Second Forum scheduled for June 2025 at Xiamen University, China.
• Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training CentreminorOthersHosted 2016 International Law Seminar for African Universities in Accra, Ghana.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hague Academy of International Law: Premier international law teaching institution in The Hague running summer and external courses for jurists worldwide. AIIL's Arusha-based academy and summer programs are modeled on this same international law teaching academy concept but with a continent-specific mandate.
• T.M.C. Asser Institute: The Hague-based research and training institute covering international and European law, human rights, and international criminal justice. Closely comparable to AIIL as a hybrid teaching-and-research organization serving legal professionals, diplomats, and judges with specialized international law programming.
• International Development Law Organization (IDLO): Intergovernmental organization headquartered in Rome dedicated to promoting rule of law and legal capacity building in developing countries, including Africa. Comparable in mission (rule-of-law promotion and legal training), institutional sponsorship model, and Africa focus.
• Xiamen Academy of International Law: China-based international law teaching academy offering short courses to jurists from developing countries, co-located with Xiamen University School of Law. Directly analogous to AIIL's mandate: location-rooted international law training, partnership with AIIL on the China-Africa Law Forum, and curriculum focused on treaty, arbitration, and public international law.
• International Law Institute (ILI): Washington, D.C.-based training organization providing capacity-building programs in international law, governance, and economic development for lawyers and officials from developing and transitioning countries. Directly comparable to AIIL's mission of international-law training for legal professionals from Africa.
• Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria: Faculty-based center at the University of Pretoria providing human rights education, training, and capacity building across Africa, including master's and short-course programs. Closely comparable to AIIL as a leading African hub for international human rights and AU-law training and research, with an overlapping beneficiary base of African lawyers, judges, and diplomats.

Broad incumbents

• United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR): Geneva-based UN agency delivering training to diplomats, government officials, and other stakeholders globally, including law-related programming. Operates under a broader mandate than AIIL but provides a parallel, larger intergovernmental training institution that AIIL's UN-endorsed programs feed into and complement.
• Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID): Swiss graduate institution offering master's and doctoral programs in international law, international affairs, and development, with deep ties to international organizations and the UN. Comparable as a teaching-and-research entity focused on international law and global governance, though operating at a much larger scale than AIIL.

Emerging players

• Pan African University: African Union–chartered postgraduate university network with institutes across the five African regions focused on science, technology, governance, and humanities. Comparable as an AU-endorsed pan-African educational institution addressing capacity-building gaps; operates at a different scale and disciplinary breadth but shares the continental mandate and AU backing.
• African Foundation for International Law (AFIL-FADI): The Hague-based foundation founded by AIIL Rector Judge Fatsah Ouguergouz, focused on international law capacity building. Directly comparable mission and overlapping leadership with AIIL; functions as a partner organization rather than a competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aiil_iadi
• Facebookfacebook.com/61550832736767
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-african-institute-of-international-law

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The African Institute of International Law