By Faustine Kapama-Judiciary, Arusha
THE President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan has
asked the Chief Justices from the Southern and Eastern Africa Chief Justices’
Forum to find ways of ensuring that the African Continental Free Trade Area Settlement
Mechanism uses modern technology to speed up the dispensation of justice.
President Samia made such a call today dated October
23, 2023 when officially launching the Southern and Eastern Africa Chief Justices’
Forum Conference and Annual General Meeting being conducted at Mount Meru Hotel
in Arusha.
“I believe you
will find an avenue for discussions regarding how best the nexus between national
judiciaries and African Continental Free Trade Area Settlement Mechanism can be
tailored, shares and allied throughout the Continent for the attainment of our
great agenda (...) for the Africa we want...
“You will also have to consider how the African
continental free trade dispute resolution body can deploy modern technologies
to efficiently, excessively and transparently enhance its role of dispensing
interspace trade related justice so as to deepen the intra-African trade
relations,” the president said.
Dr. Samia also encouraged the Chief Justices and other
delegates to develop home-grown innovation, as was the case for the Tanzania
Judiciary during the Covid-19 pandemic to facilitate a smooth and rapid hearing
of cases of all nature and catalyze the desire to further simply judicial operations.
She said that encouraging such efforts and other home grown
technology or technological based solutions in the continental context was
vital, as it encourages the spirit of entrepreneurship which is the key driver
of economic growth and it allows young people to participate in the economy,
shape innovation and stimulate job creation, thereby contributing to greater productivity.
“When such home grown technological solutions are
considered within the context of the African Continent Free Trade Area the outcome
can visibly be foreseen and first place such innovation can easily
cross-technology or technology transfer within African Content Free Trade Area....
“While home grown technology for innovation are
essential for our continent economic growth I hasten to state that such innovation
cannot be safe without having robust intellectual property or property rights
regime to offer adequate protective mechanism to our technological innovation,”
the president said.
Dr. Samia pointed out that technological innovations
are as well needed so as to address pertinent issues on African Security and
other employment crisis through enhanced intra-African Agro-business, trade and
investment.
In all such areas, she said, there are intellectual
property right related matters to which national judiciaries are also well
connected when it comes to resolution and dispute involving such matters.
The president said also that it is a fact that the continent
is not only endowed with rich natural resources but also endowed with potential
human capital that needs to be effectively honesty through improved search and
development frameworks.
She said such frameworks must be well reviewed with adequate
protection through harmonizing intellectual property rights, protection laws
and mechanism, adequate competitive policy framework and effective dispute
resolution mechanisms.
The president said that with adequate intellectual property
rights, protection and effective mechanism to facilitate transport technology and
resolve commercial related dispute young techno innovators will be assured of
enjoyment of their benefit whenever there will be such transfer of technology.
In turn, she said, they will contribute to the
industrialization of our continent, which is much needed agenda as it will not
only transform our economies, add value and promote trade through greater integration
into regional or global value chain but also have to address the issues of
unemployment to our young and fast-growing population.
The Head of State reminded the Chief Justices and the delegates
that several protocols and annexes have been adopted by the African Union and
the African Continental Free Trade Area frameworks to address the pertinent need
of our continent.
Such protocols, she said, include the Protocol of
Rules and Procedures on the settlement of disputes. It was of the view of the
president that the delegates will have time to examine the entire Africa Continental
Free Trade Area framework for a better understanding of its structures.
“The Protocol of Rules and Procedures on the
settlement of disputes seeks to covert direct linkage with the role played by
the national judiciaries. Effective of this protocol and decision that will emanating
from dispute resolution body may have a lot to do with our national judiciaries...
“I hold such view because the decisions of dispute
resolution body may need to be fully backed up by fully by other enforcement mechanism
at the national level,” she said.
The meeting involves
the Chief Justices member countries of the forum such as Tanzania, Kenya,
Uganda, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, Mozambique, Seychelles, Botswana, Angola,
Zanzibar, Malawi, Lesotho, Mauritius, Zambia and South Africa.
Hakuna maoni:
Chapisha Maoni