Pathways to the ILI: African Union
by Alida Bach
At the International Law Institute, we believe the connections built with our participants do notend at a seminar’s completion; rather, each one marks the beginning of an ongoing relationship.
In this edition of Pathways to the ILI, we feature five members of the African Union (AU) — Mrs. Lulit Getachew, Mr. Fouad Hendel, Mr. Hamza Sahl, Mr. Paulos Weldesellaise, and Mr. Richard Hakizimana — who attended 2023’s Advanced Arbitration and Mediation and 2024’s Advanced Legislative Drafting. Upon the delegation’s second visit to the ILI, we interviewed them to learn more about their experiences at the ILI — and the reasons behind their return.
Mrs. Getachew, Legal Project Coordinator at the AU, had been the primary link between the delegation and the International Law Institute. She coordinated their first visit and played a leading role in the coordination of the group’s participation.
The group’s decision to return for the Advanced Legislative Drafting was because — according to Mr. Hakizimana, Technical Advisor on Finance, Budget, & Audit — they viewed legislative drafting as a natural extension of both their work and the previous training. “Mistakes in drafting can become binding obligations in arbitration,” Mr. Hakizimana told us. As the group’s only non-lawyer, he also emphasized the relationship they had recognized between legislative drafting and dispute resolution. “We must realize where the deals go bad – both at the front and back end,”
“The first seminar focused on foundational tools for mediation and arbitration, helping us lay the groundwork for our Ombuds Office. The second seminar addressed more nuanced challenges, such as managing the drafting related to the cases. These insights are directly applicable to our roles at the African Union, enabling us to better handle sensitive issues.” -Mr. Hakizimana
Mr. Sahl, Head of HR, elaborated on their reasoning for returning to the ILI; “The [Advanced Arbitration and Mediation] sessions provided a comprehensive understanding of conflict resolution strategies, mediation techniques, and best practices in arbitration, all tailored to real-world applications.” Mr. Sahl had explained that the entire delegation’s work involved Human Resources — in some capacity — and thus offered valuable skills to more than just himself.
“The seminars at the International Law Institute have been instrumental in equipping us with the skills and knowledge to address workplace challenges effectively.” -Mr. Sahl
Mr. Hendel, Head of Ombudsman and Mediation, and Mr. Weldesellaise, Head of the Administrative Tribunal, also highlighted the other opportunities they had found at the ILI.
During our conversation, Mr. Hendel told us that after having been recently appointed as an Ombudsman within the African Union in 2023, he sought advice from ILI staff on establishing a new Ombuds Office during their visit for Advanced Arbitration and Mediation. Through the ILI’s network, Mr. Hendel was able to arrange a virtual meeting with the Ombudsman of the World Bank, based in Nairobi, Kenya. Today, both Mr. Hendel and Mr. Weldesellaise are official members of the International Ombuds Association (IOA).
“When we attended our first seminar at the International Law Institute on mediation and arbitration, I shared with the ILI and some of the instructors that I had recently been appointed as an Ombudsman within the African Union. I sought advice on establishing a new Ombuds Office, and they went above and beyond to assist me. Thanks to this connection, I’ve gained a mentor and a great friend,” -Mr. Hendel
Reflecting on their visits, Mr. Hakizimana emphasized that “the seminars offered at the ILI do not only address present issues, but prepare us for future developments.” The African Union’s return to the ILI underscores some of our core values, equipping participants with forward-thinking tools and meaningful, useful, connections. As this group takes their insights forward, we look forward to welcoming them back again in the future.
For more information – ILI Advanced Arbitration and Mediation and ILI Advanced Legislative Drafting
From left to right: Fouad Hendel, Lilit Getachew, Paulos Weldesellaise, Hamza Sahl, and Richard Hakizimana