The African Bar Association has officially opened registration and issued a call for papers for its 2026 Annual Conference scheduled to take place in Sal, Cape Verde, from September 20 to 24, 2026.
The conference, organised in collaboration with the Cape Verde Bar Association, will be held at the Hilton Cabo Verde Sal Resort in Santa Maria, bringing together legal practitioners, policymakers, academics, and industry stakeholders from across Africa and beyond.
According to the Association, this year’s conference will centre on the theme: “Resilient Africa’s Roadmap for Sustainable Development: Addressing and Strengthening Issues of Military, Security and Economic Stability.” The theme reflects the continent’s ongoing efforts to navigate complex challenges, including insecurity, governance gaps, and economic instability.
As part of preparations, AFBA has called for the submission of scholarly papers aimed at fostering robust dialogue on Africa’s resilience and development. The Association noted that the initiative seeks to engage experts across various sectors in exploring legal and institutional strategies to promote peace, strengthen governance, and drive inclusive economic growth.
The call for papers covers a broad range of topics, including human rights, access to justice, regional integration, aviation law, banking and finance, capital markets, dispute resolution, oil and gas, environmental sustainability, artificial intelligence, telecommunications, and anti-corruption frameworks. Other areas of interest include taxation, maritime transport, health law, intellectual property, and family law.
Prospective contributors are required to submit abstracts of no more than 300 words, including the title, author’s details, and contact information, while full papers must not exceed 8,000 words and should comply with OSCOLA referencing style. Submissions may be made in English, French, or Arabic.
Key deadlines announced by the Association include May 31, 2026, for abstract submissions, June 30, 2026, for notification of acceptance, and August 15, 2026, for final paper submissions. AFBA clarified that submissions must be original works and that no honorarium will be provided, although authors will retain moral rights to their work.
In addition to the academic call, the Association has also opened registration for participants, with various categories and fee structures. Early bird registration, which runs until May 31, 2026, is set at $600 for members and $750 for non-members. Regular registration follows from June 1 to July 31, with fees of $700 for members and $850 for non-members.
Late registration will be available from August 1 to September 10, priced at $800 for members and $950 for non-members. Special rates have also been introduced, including a flat rate of $600 for judges, magistrates, and academics, and discounted fees for young lawyers with seven years post-enrolment and below. Non-lawyers may attend at a flat rate of $500, while registrations made after September 10 will attract a flat fee of $1,000.
The AFBA stated that the 2026 conference will serve as a major platform for legal discourse, policy engagement, and cross-border collaboration, with a focus on strengthening Africa’s legal and institutional frameworks in response to contemporary challenges.
The Association encouraged interested participants to take advantage of the early registration window and submit their papers promptly, noting that the conference is expected to generate practical solutions and forward-looking strategies for sustainable development across the continent.
Submission Guidelines
Abstracts: Maximum of 300 words.
Include the title, author’s name, affiliation, and contact information
Full Papers: Should not exceed 8,000 words (excluding references) Must follow OSCOLA referencing guide.
Format: Submissions in Word format (.docx)
Language: Papers may be in English, French or Arabic.
Deadlines: Abstract Submission Deadline: 31st May 2026 Full Paper Submission Deadline: 15th August 2026,.
Honorarium: The African Bar Association deos not offer or pay any sum or give any consideration or facilitation for abstracts or papers delivered at its conferences
Intellectual property:
All papers submitted must be original and unpublished works of the authors. By submitting your abstract or paper author(s) guarantee that it does not contain any infringing copyright or other intellectual property and that if any intellectual property is containedor has been used, the author(s) has obtained the consent of the o wners to use it and for African Bar Association to use it. Authors also agree to and thereby transfer to the African Bar Association all the intellectual property rights in the said works save the moral rights and agree to execute any formal transfer agreements that the african Bar Association may require. Key Dates
Abstract Submission. Deadline: 31st May 2026
Notification of Acceptance 30th June 2026
Full Paper Submission Deadline 15th August 2026
Conference Dates
20th to 24th September, 2026
Submission Information
Send all enquiries, abstracts and final papers to afba.conference@afribar.org
FOR SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES AND REGISTRATION
Email: afba.conference@afribar.org Website: www.afribar.org Telephone: +2348054336076. +2347063972637. +23470361 15290
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