In a significant development for dispute resolution in Zambia and the region, on 5 April 2024, the President of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema, officially launched the Lusaka International Arbitration Centre (LIAC), which will function as a forum for commercial disputes in Zambia and beyond.
On the occasion, the head of state echoed the importance of LIAC to the overall economic expansion agenda for Zambia and expressed the aspiration that LIAC will provide a platform for the resolution of commercial disputes.
We believe this Centre will discharge its duties to help us refine a number of frameworks for better transaction.
Hakainde Hichilema
Zambia has accepted the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration and has signed the New York Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards. As a result, LIAC arbitration rulings will be internationally enforceable.
Additionally, the LIAC Rules have been formulated to provide for expert and enforceable dispute resolution, and the legal framework in Zambia supports the arbitration process by providing for interim measures and judicial intervention, where required by the parties. The courts have notably recognised alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and, in various decisions, referred matters to arbitration where the parties so agreed.
In January 2023…
The Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) and the CIArb-Zambia signed a memorandum of understanding for the establishment of an international arbitration centre in the country, mooted as the Lusaka International Arbitration Centre. The parties committed to working together to involve the local business community and other stakeholders to ensure LIAC’s effective development and positioning as a formidable local, regional, and international facility for the resolution of commercial disputes.
With the MoU’s goal met, it is expected that LIAC will position the country as a safe seat for alternative dispute resolution and extend choices for parties seeking cost-effective dispute resolution, thereby improving access to justice.
LIAC, governed by the Board of Directors, including Chairperson Dr. Chabuka Kawesha and Vice Chairperson Lungisani Zulu, is looking to capitalise on the country’s central location, political stability, and neutrality. The LIAC founder members include Mulenga Mundashi Legal Practitioners, B&M Legal Practitioners (Bowmans Zambia), Equitas Legal Practitioners, Musa Dudhia & Co. (ALN Zambia), AMW & Co. Legal Practitioners, Chibesakunda & Co., and Nchito & Nchito Advocates.
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