Kenya set to host international law conference

More than 400 international delegates including 12 ministers of justice and eight Attorneys General are due to meet in Nairobi next week for a five-day international law conference, organizers said on Monday.

A statement from government spokesman's office said the 56th Annual Session of the Asian African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO) to be held from Monday will bring together delegates from 47 governments from Asia, Middle East and Africa.

"The conference will also address environmental concerns touching on the protection of the atmosphere while examining the emerging issue of International law in cyberspace," the government said.

The Immunity of State Officials from Foreign Criminal Jurisdiction under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic and Consular Relations will also be discussed.

It said China and Japan will host two meetings on the sidelines of the conference, centered on promoting rule of law in Asia and Africa, and combating illegal trade on wild flora and fauna as part of the transnational organized crimes.

Economic superpowers China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore as well as oil rich Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Kuwait, Jordan and South Africa will be highly represented in Nairobi. Russia will for the first time be attending an AALCO Conference as an observer.

The first conference was held in Bandung, Indonesia in 1955 where member states committed to forging Asian-African cooperation on international legal matters with the Bandung Spirit continuing to inspire states in the quest for an egalitarian and just international legal order.

This year's annual conference discussions will focus on Violent Extremism and Terrorism, and the Status and Treatment of Refugees.

"This will be interesting for Kenya in the wake of government efforts at closing Dadaab, Africa's largest refugee camp which holds thousands of Somali, Ethiopian and South Sudanese refugees," the government said.

African countries that have seen increased cooperation and trade have in particular been seeking legal advice in the areas of conflict of laws in international trade, law of treaties, extradition and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and debt relief.

In recent years, the law of the sea has for the continent generated significant interest due to exploitation of maritime resources located within the territorial waters.

"Of significant interest to Kenya is the recognition of the country as an international center for commercial dispute resolution. This further recognizes Kenya as a key investment and financial destination in the world," said the government.

In December last year, President Uhuru Kenyatta inaugurated the Nairobi Centre for International Arbitration.

The Conference comes at a time when Kenya is seeking to submit its candidature for various international positions, including the International Court of Justice, International Criminal Court, International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea.

Kenya is credited for having developed the concept as well as the rules and regulations governing the exploitation of maritime resources through the Economic Exclusive Zones (EEZ) during the Montego Bay negotiations of 1982 introduced by the Late Frank Njenga who served as AALCO Secretary General between 1988 and 1994. Endit