The first international conference on the Dominican Republic's Private International Law Act of the Republic (law no.544-14) was held on 28 and 29 April at the FUNGLODE headquarters in Saint-Domingue in the Dominican Republic.

This event brought together experts in private international law from the Caribbean and Latin America. For this occasion, Professor José Carlos Fernandez Rozas, Chair of Private International Law at the University of Madrid (Spain) and his team were able to present to practitioners of law in the Dominican Republic the new Dominican law on private international law (Law no. 544-14), which they helped compile.

The two days of the conference, which were rich in exchanges and discussion, gave participants an opportunity to gain general and detailed knowledge on the practice, evolution, adoption and codification of texts on private international law in the Dominican Republic and the islands and territories of the Caribbean, as well as in various states of Latin America.

Ms Catherine Sargenti, President of the Association ACP Legal and Leader of the OHADAC (Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in the Caribbean) project and Mr Jean Alain Penda, the project coordinator, took part in the conference. Their participation represented another opportunity to promote the OHADAC project, which was recognised by participants as being a relevant tool for helping the genuine regional integration of countries and territories in the Wider Caribbean Region.

Ms Sargenti spoke on the theme: “The OHADAC model law as an instrument for unification in private international law in the Caribbean.” This included presentation of an overview of the work completed so far on the OHADAC model law relating to private international law (Law 544-14) and a reminder that this project, as well as the new Dominican Law (Law 544-14) are of mutual inspiration.. She also reviewed the next steps of the OHADAC project, and in particular reminded participants that the formal presentation of the OHADAC model law relating to private international law and the other OHADAC texts will take place at the OHADAC congress organised by ACP Legal for 21 and 22 September 2015, which will be held in Guadeloupe, in the presence of representatives of the Caribbean States, various Chapters of the OHADAC space, OHADAC experts, and university and legal representatives, etc.

For further information, please contact:

Jean Alain Penda
Email: japenda@ohadac.com