Treaty on the harmonisation of business law in Africa (OHADA), revised in Quebec in 2008

This treaty establishes the Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa (OHADA), of which Gabon is a member. It gives the Council of Ministers the power to adopt uniform acts that apply directly in every member state and override conflicting national rules. It creates the Common Court of Justice and Arbitration (CCJA), which acts as the court of cassation for disputes under the uniform acts and as an arbitration centre, together with a regional school for judges and a permanent secretariat. The revision treaty signed in Quebec on 17 October 2008, to which Gabon is a party, modernised the institutions and clarified publication rules: uniform acts are published in the OHADA Official Journal and become applicable ninety days after publication unless they provide otherwise. For investors in Gabon, it is the reason company, security, commercial and debt recovery law is shared across many African countries.