Algeria

International human rights conventions in Algerian case law

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Published: March 22, 2023
Opening of the training “Practical application of international human rights conventions - human rights protection at the judicial level” held on 27 and 28 February 2023 in Algiers.
Opening of the training “Practical application of international human rights conventions - human rights protection at the judicial level” held on 27 and 28 February 2023 in Algiers.
Algeria

IRZ organised a training course in Algiers on 27 and 28 February 2023 with the local Ministry of Justice on the “Practical application of international human rights conventions - human rights protection at the judicial level”, attended by Algerian and German legal practitioners.

Promoting exchanges between Algeria and Germany

The measure was primarily for the judiciary and ministry officials. The aim was to enable expert exchanges on the importance of international human rights conventions and their implementation at national level and on the role of the judiciary in the protection of human rights. The purpose is to train the participants to take greater account of human rights standards in daily legal practice.

Mr. Ahmed Berrich, Judge of the Regional Directorate for Specialised Criminal Justice and Jonas Hein, LL.M., Advisor in the Department of Human Rights of the Federal Ministry of Justice began with an overview of the historical development of human rights and international human rights conventions. Following the introduction, Laalaa Chokri, Prosecutor at the Court of Boudouaou and Prof Dr Reinhard Gaier, former Federal Constitutional Judge, gave further presentations on procedures to anchor and implement human rights in the respective national case law. In addition to the specific features of human rights, the speakers also addressed current challenges, during which it became clear that the judiciary has a special role in protecting and further strengthening human rights in case law. These topics were highlighted in the presentations by Prof Dr Gaier and Said Abbes, Examining Magistrates at the Court of Tizi Ouzou. The participants and speakers also discussed legal-philosophical issues.

Practical and legal-philosophical issues on the protection of human rights

The participants explored the implementation of human rights in their legal practice and in the consideration of local specificities in case law that would be both effective and sensitive to human rights.

A total of 30 participants engaged in the discussions with the two German experts. IRZ is planning further events in cooperation with the Algerian Ministry of Justice.

Exchange of experience on the investment climate and investment protection in Algeria

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Published: February 27, 2023
Participants in the exchange of experience to promote the climate of investment and investment protection in Algeria on 8-9 November 2022.
Participants in the exchange of experience to promote the climate of investment and investment protection in Algeria on 8-9 November 2022.
Algeria

On 8-9 November 2022, IRZ, the Algerian Ministry of Justice and the national investment agency, engaged in an exchange of experiences to promote the investment climate and investment protection in Algeria.

The event aimed to present national and international law framework conditions for investments, but also bilateral agreements between Germany and Algeria. The participants then discussed the legal and judicial requirements to promote investment. The digitisation and modernisation of procedures and the resulting improved access to justice also played a specific role. Finally, the speakers presented judicial and extrajudicial guarantees for foreign investments, including international arbitration, mediation and commercial arbitration.

The experiences and perspectives from Algeria, Germany and Tunisia were presented by:

  • Ahmed Berishi, Head of the Research and Planning Department, responsible for major projects at the Algerian Ministry of Justice
  • Safia Kouirat, Head of Research and Expertise at the National Agency for Investment Promotion of Algeria
  • Jamal Abdali, Director of Bilateral Economic and Financial Relations at the Ministry of Finance
  • Qasi Abdullah Raouf, Research and Planning Officer at the Ministerial Office at the Ministry of Justice in Algeria
  • Ammar Gomri, Inspector General of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security
  • Fayza Jundi, Judge at the Maritime Judiciary Chamber in Blida District
  • Prof Dr Julian Scheu, LL.M., Junior Professor for public law, international law and international investment law and Managing Director of the International Investment Law Center Cologne (IILCC) at the University of Cologne
  • Dr Manuela F. Doughan, LL.M., Attorney and Senior Associate
  • Prof Dr Hatem Rouatbi, University Professor, Head of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Research Laboratory at the Tunis Faculty of Law and Attorney at the Tunisian Court of Cassation

The diverse target group (ministerial officials from the ministries of justice, economics and foreign affairs and judges), meant that the participants engaged in some lively and controversial discussions.

Exchange of experiences on the topic of investment climate and investment protection in Algeria

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Published: February 18, 2022
Algeria

The IRZ (German Foundation for International Legal Cooperation), in cooperation with the Algerian Ministry of Justice, organised an online exchange of experiences on the topic "Investment climate and investment protection in Algeria" from 1-2 December 2021. The ministry and the judiciary of Algeria attended with a total of 75 participants representing numerous judicial districts from all over the country.

The following experts took part for the IRZ:

  • Riadh Khalil Hassanain, Federal Bar Association, Berlin
  • Alexander Heinen, lawyer, Bonn
  • Yorck Diergarten, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, consultant in the VC3 foreign investments department, Paris Club

The Algerian contingent was represented by the following experts:

  • Lidia Fes, presiding judge, Ministry of Justice
  • Esmahene Abdelwahed, judge of the Court of Senia
  • Faissel Sifwan, chief judge of the Court of Tipasa
  • Halim Guisa, investigating judge in the Criminal Justice Centre of the Court of Constantine
  • Mohamed Amine Kentar, Head of the Regulatory Offences Department of the Court of Constantine
  • Judge Barkane, Head of the Commercial Division

The following experts attended from Tunisa:

  • Professor Hatem Rouatbi, Head of the Research Centre for Dispute Resolution and Enforcement Methods at the Faculty of Law of the University of Tunis El Manar, Al Taqeeb Law Firm, Tunis

Algeria is currently promoting the development of domestic value creation. This requires an increase in investments from abroad. The relevant legal framework must be amended to create investment incentives. Here, the event offered a discussion forum on how to secure foreign investments in Algeria and Germany and create investment incentives through international and regional guarantee agreements, through bilateral investment protection agreements and options for dispute resolution (arbitration).

The discussions were extremely lively with detailed questions to the experts, for example on practical aspects of investment protection or procedural questions on alternative dispute resolution and arbitration. The experts proposed ways of creating investment incentives through legal safeguards and guarantees to the participants.