Association pour la Promotion de l'Arbitrage en Afrique

What Association pour la Promotion de l'Arbitrage en Afrique does

The Association pour la Promotion de l'Arbitrage en Afrique (APAA) is a nonprofit professional association founded on November 2, 2005, in Geneva, Switzerland, and headquartered in Yaoundé, Cameroon. It promotes arbitration and mediation/conciliation across Africa, convening a Pan-African membership of arbitrators, mediators, lawyers, judges, academics, economic operators, and government legal advisers. APAA's stated mission addresses limited awareness and weak implementation of alternative dispute resolution on the continent, alongside insufficient professional capacity and under-representation of African experts in international arbitration.

APAA's core offerings are threefold: (i) the Revue Camerounaise de l'Arbitrage, a scholarly journal launched in 1999 and accessible via revcamarb.org; (ii) the Journées Africaines de l'Arbitrage et de la Médiation (JAAM) annual conference series, with the 4th edition held in Yaoundé in 2026 and previous editions co-organized with partners such as ERSUMA and NICArb; and (iii) an E-Consulting service delivered through apaafrique.org, supplemented by an ERSUMA-hosted videoconference channel for virtual participation. Since 2008, the association has organized eight conferences on Alternative Dispute Resolution themes, and a single January 2020 colloquium on OHADA investment disputes drew over 200 participants. Technology footprint is minimal: no commercial software products, no mobile apps, and no API surface; distribution is primarily event- and membership-driven.

APAA is led by President Gaston Kenfack Douajni, a former Chair of UNCITRAL and former member of the ICC International Court of Arbitration, who concurrently serves as President of the African Arbitration Association (AfAA). Revenue is not publicly disclosed and derives from three modeled streams: recurring membership fees, event registration (e.g., 200,000 FCFA in-person, 50,000 FCFA virtual for JAAM, with a 40% student discount), and publication sales. Strategic partnerships span PCA, ICC, UNCITRAL, CRCICA, OHADA, CCJA, ICSID, CIETAC, ERSUMA, and others, anchoring APAA as a recognized convener rather than a revenue-generating entity.

Name

Association pour la Promotion de l'Arbitrage en Afrique

Legal name

ASSOCIATION POUR LA PROMOTION DE L'ARBITRAGE EN AFRIQUE

Website

https://apaafrique.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

APAA is a nonprofit professional association, founded in 2005 and headquartered in Yaoundé, Cameroon, that promotes arbitration and mediation across Africa through scholarly publications, annual conferences, and a Pan-African membership network of legal practitioners, judges, and academics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Yaoundé

HQ country

Cameroon

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from individual professionals including arbitrators, mediators, lawyers, judges, academics, and other legal practitioners across Africa
2. Event Registration Fees: Fees charged for participation in conferences, colloquia, and training events such as JAAM (200,000 FCFA in-person, 50,000 FCFA virtual)
3. Publication Sales: Revenue from publishing academic works on arbitration and mediation law in Africa

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

APAA is a Pan-African nonprofit professional association that promotes arbitration, mediation, and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms across Africa. It delivers a quarterly legal journal (Revue Camerounaise de l'Arbitrage), an annual scientific conference series (JAAM), and an online E-Consulting service, while operating membership programs and capacity-building initiatives for legal professionals and institutions across the continent.

Product overview

The Association for the Promotion of Arbitration in Africa (APAA) is a professional association that promotes arbitration and mediation in Africa through publications, scientific events, and capacity building. Its core offerings include the Revue Camerounaise de l'Arbitrage (a scholarly journal established in 1999), the annual JAAM conference series, and e-consulting services. The organization does not offer commercial software products but serves as a network and knowledge-sharing platform for arbitration professionals across Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Revue Camerounaise de l'Arbitrage: The main publication of the APAA, created in 1999, focusing on arbitration law in Africa

Products and services

• Revue Camerounaise de l'Arbitrage Quarterly scholarly journal publishing articles, case studies, and commentary on arbitration and mediation law, primarily in Cameroon and Francophone Africa. Targeted at arbitrators, mediators, lawyers, academics, magistrates, and law students.
• Journées Africaines de l'Arbitrage et de la Médiation (JAAM) Annual multi-day scientific conference bringing together African and international arbitration and mediation practitioners for knowledge exchange, training, and networking. Held in-person in Yaoundé and virtually via the ERSUMA platform.
• APAA E-Consulting
• APAA Membership Program Annual membership program offering individual professionals (arbitrators, mediators, lawyers, academics, magistrates, students, and economic operators) access to APAA events, publications, networking, and capacity-building resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 participants from across Africa and the world at major events
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OHADA (Organisation pour l'Harmonisation en Afrique du Droit des Affaires)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing strategic partnership for promoting arbitration and mediation within the OHADA legal space. APAA collaborates with OHADA on major events including the JAAM conferences and international colloquia on arbitration law.
• Cour Permanente d'Arbitrage (PCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation agreement with the Permanent Court of Arbitration for joint activities promoting arbitration in Africa. APAA participates in PCA events and collaborates on capacity building initiatives.
• CRCICA (Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for promoting arbitration in the OHADA space. Joint international colloquium organized in 2018 on PCA, CRCICA, and OHADA arbitration and mediation.
• ICC (International Chamber of Commerce)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with ICC's International Court of Arbitration and Africa Arbitration Commission. APAA President participates in ICC Africa conferences as speaker.
• UNCITRALcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport from UN Commission on International Trade Law for APAA events including the January 2020 colloquium on OHADA investment disputes.
• ICSID (International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as partner organization, supporting investment dispute resolution initiatives.
• ERSUMA (École Régionale Supérieure de la Magistrature)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the JAAM conferences (Journées Africaines de l'Arbitrage et de la Médiation). Provides videoconference platform for virtual event participation.
• CIETAC (China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport for the China Arbitration Summit 2024 and International Arbitration Cooperation Initiative. APAA participates in China-Africa arbitration cooperation activities.
• African Arbitration Academy (AAA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on the 'Africa's 20 Arbitration Powerlist 2022' publication.
• African Arbitration Association (AfAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPAA President serves as President of AfAA. Collaborative relationship for organizing annual conferences and promoting arbitration in Africa.
• GICAM (Groupement Interpatronal du Cameroun)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost partner for the January 2020 international colloquium on OHADA investment disputes.
• Nigerian Institute of Chartered Arbitrators (NICArb)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the 3rd edition of JAAM (2024) on contemporary issues in arbitration and mediation law in Africa.
• CACI (Côte d'Ivoire Chamber of Commerce)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as partner organization on APAA website.
• CCJA (Cour Commune de Justice et d'Arbitrage)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the CCJA arbitration center for OHADA-related events and activities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• African Arbitration Association (AfAA): Continental association promoting arbitration in Africa. The APAA President also serves as President of AfAA, making it the closest peer in mission, scope, and constituency.
• African Arbitration Academy (AAA): Africa-focused arbitration training and capacity-building body that co-published the 'Africa's 20 Arbitration Powerlist 2022' with APAA. Highly comparable in education and community-building mission.
• Lagos Court of Arbitration (LCA): West African arbitration institution offering ADR services and training. Comparable as a regional body targeting the same African arbitrator and lawyer segments APAA serves.
• i-arb Africa: Online platform curating African arbitration news, events, and practitioner content. Listed as an APAA partner and serves the same continental arbitration-professional audience.
• Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration (NCIA): African arbitration and ADR institution promoting international commercial arbitration across the continent. Overlaps with APAA in mission, capacity building, and Pan-African event programming.

Regional players

• Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC): Regional arbitration institution based in Malaysia. Comparable to APAA as a regional capacity-building hub and venue for international arbitration events, though focused on Asia rather than Africa.

Broad incumbents

• OHADA / CCJA: Treaty-based legal harmonization body for 17 African states with its own arbitration arm (CCJA). A core APAA partner and the principal rule-maker for the OHADA arbitration framework APAA promotes.
• Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA): Intergovernmental arbitration institution with global caseload. APAA has a cooperation agreement with the PCA; they share the same target audience of arbitrators and states in Africa.
• International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) International Court of Arbitration: The largest global commercial arbitration institution. APAA collaborates with ICC's Africa Arbitration Commission, and ICC sets the global standard APAA promotes in Africa.
• Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration (CRCICA): Established regional arbitration center with broader caseload and infrastructure. A core APAA partner and a more institutionally mature peer serving overlapping OHADA/Africa-aligned practitioners.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/APAA2006
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@apaafrique
• Facebookfacebook.com/Apaafriq
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apaafrique

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Association pour la Promotion de l'Arbitrage en Afrique