The 2019 China-Africa Law Forum was held on 30 & 31 July 2019 (“the Forum”) at Beijing, China and was sponsored by Beijing Foreign Studies University and hosted by the School of Law of Beijing Foreign Studies University and African Institute of International Law.

The Forum included African scholars and experts on African investment and trade law; as well as Chinese scholars, government officials, lawyers and business leaders and 20 foreign experts.

Dr. Mohamed Hafez (Counsel and Legal Advisor to the Director of the Cairo Regional Centre for International Commercial Arbitration “CRCICA”) was amongst the invited guest speakers at the Forum.

The Forum focused on the following four topics: (i) BITs between China and the African States, (ii) ISDS between Chinese investors and African governments, (iii) The African Continental Free Trade Area (“AfCFTA”) Agreement and (iv) China- Africa cooperation on One Belt One Road Initiative. Dr. Hafez was amongst the speakers on panel 3 titled “the AfCFTA” where he delivered his presentation entitled “the Major Benefits and Possible Drawbacks on the AfCFTA Agreement and its Dispute Resolution Mechanism.” In his presentation, Dr. Hafez discussed the origins of the AfCFTA Agreement, the effects of the AfCFTA Agreement, a minor brief on the Framework of the Agreement and its stages, its objectives, its major benefits, its possible drawbacks, its Dispute Settlement Mechanism, the emerging concerns of arbitration & the Dispute Settlement Mechanism under the AfCFTA Agreement and finally he concluded with recommendations to help promote the AfCFTA Agreement