This January, the world’s arbitration community turns its attention to Accra.

The Center for International Mediators and Arbitrators (CIMA) will host its 2026 Graduation and Investiture Week—a landmark moment marked by three powerful developments shaping the future of dispute resolution in Africa and beyond.

First, CIMA’s programmes now extend across Africa and Asia, supporting young practitioners, senior lawyers, judges, academics, and policymakers through high-level training in arbitration, mediation, advocacy, ethics, and award writing. Through initiatives such as the Africa Mock Arbitration Series, sponsorship of moots in Asia-Pacific, and Ghana’s first International Commercial Arbitration Student Round at GIMPA Law School, CIMA is helping to build the next generation of global dispute-resolution professionals.

STAR OF THE MONTH - Professor Philip Ebow Bondzi-Simpson ESQ.

Second, the Accra Arbitration Rules will be officially launched. These Rules reflect international best practice while responding deliberately to African commercial realities—emphasising procedural efficiency, party autonomy, enforceability, and the structured integration of mediation and arbitration. Their unveiling marks a confident African contribution to the evolution of global arbitration frameworks.

Third, the event will feature the launch of a major new book:

Dickson on International Commercial Arbitration.

The work offers a rigorous yet practical treatment of arbitration law and procedure, addressing both classical doctrine and emerging challenges such as technology, digital evidence, and cross-border complexity.

Together, these milestones signal something larger than a ceremony. They reflect a strategic vision:

to position Accra as a serious intellectual and professional hub for arbitration, connecting Africa, Europe, and Asia within a shared global legal culture.

The future of arbitration is no longer shaped only in traditional centres. It is being shaped here.

By Global Affairs Desk

CIMA