This event was organized under the auspices of the Training Unit of African Enforcement Agents (Ufohja), which is the training branch of UIHJ, with the help of the National Chamber of Enforcement Agents of Mali and the French National School of Procedure (ENP). Jacques Isnard, president of UIHJ, Yacine Sene, vice-president and Honoré Aggrey, permanent secretary, as well as ten African and French delegations convened to finally turn the seminar into a complete success. The welcome of the State's authorities, notably towards UIHJ, was a particularly warm one, as UIHJ and the National Chamber of Enforcement Agents were greeted by Mr Ousmane Issoufi Maiga, Prime Minister.
Acknowledgement of the actions of UIHJ, Ufohja and the French National School of Procedure by the Minister of Justice
During the interview with the head of the Government, focus was made on necessities of securing issues by ways of appropriate judicial measures. Another theme of the discussion was the training of African Enforcement Agents.
The Prime Minister took notice of the actions of the UIHJ in that field and showed his appreciation on the accomplishment of Ufohja in co-operation with ENP in Paris.
M. Maiga also saluted the dynamic work of the Chamber of Mali and of its president, Filifing Dembele.
The opening ceremony, which was preceded the previous day with a conference held for the presidents of National chambers invited by Mali, took place under the chair of Mrs Fanta Sylla, Minister of Justice.
During a preliminary speech, the president Dembele praised Ufohja's virtues, “this irreplaceable tool that has been teaching for four years the appropriate training for Enforcement Agents and their staff with the fertile partnership of the French ENP”.
President Dembele insisted, once again, on the Uniform Acts projects regarding transmission of documents and suppression of Exequatur that UIHJ tries to promote towards the Council of Ministers. Lastly, in his conclusion, the president of the National Chamber insisted on the importance of the themes of the seminar :
- the role of the State in the enforcement of court decisions
- ethics and code of conduct of Enforcements Agents
- assessment report on Uniform act organizing simplified recovery procedures and measures on execution
- organisation of offices - IT - communication, etc.
Progresses achieved by the African Enforcement Agents
President Isnard took notice of the importance, in terms of international reference, of the Ohada Treaty and Uniform Acts.
With that in mind, Mr Isnard reminded the UIHJ Cadat project, which aims at the promotion of a true Area of Justice in Africa. In that respect, Mr Isnard informed the assistance of a resolution that was voted a few days before in Pretoria by the presidents of eight national chambers of enforcement agents (Sheriffs) of the African Southern regions (South Africa, Namibia, Uganda, Kenya, Swaziland, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Malawi). This resolution focuses on the coming closer, on a judicial side, of the SADEC economical regions and Ohada.
The UIHJ president declared to be very wary of the efforts towards progress accomplished by our African colleagues. “Many international organizations are still dominated by Europeans and Americans which do not fully apprehend the African cultural specificities”.
“At UIHJ, we believe in the future of people of this continent and we bet on their ability to develop, our task being to be at their side to communicate our experience, to stress out their responsibilities and to incite them to fulfil their duties. We must stop to think that, in Africa, providence will take care of everything”.
Finally, Mr Isnard strongly encouraged his Malian colleagues to focus on on-going training and to work towards the promotion of a ever more efficient judicial system in order to facilitate access to investment in the country.
A perfectly organized seminar
Mrs Fanta Sylla, Minister of Justice, declared herself fully satisfied with the organization of this international seminar in Bamako. She insisted on the interest of the State for the themes that were to be dealt with, especially regarding the global problematics of instauration true States of Law in Ohada area and the specific ones of judicial and legal security of people and concerns.
Mrs Sylla underlined the prestige that surrounds our organization and warmly thanked Ufohja for the support brought to Malians' enforcement Agents and the ones coming from other States. She noticed how fruitful were the exchanges between the National chamber of Mali, which actions are lead by the talented president Dembele and UIHJ.
Finally, the Minister of Justice showed great interest in the work of the seminar by asking to be informed of its final resolutions.
The different workshops took place within the two days that lasted the seminar and managed to approach many varied topics such as the status and ethics of Enforcement Agents, garnishee orders or the organization of offices.
What will remain of those international days ? In the end, probably that the profession of Enforcement Agents is very similar in all Member States.
Something has to be said about the quality of the participants of the different workshops, which were able to canalise a somehow understandable passion, when making comparisons in the interpretation of Uniform Law.
Surely, the perfect organization of this great seminar lied on president Dembele's shoulders and on Sadina Sano, secretary.
