The Democratic Republic of the Congo will become the 150th state to apply the New York Convention. The Convention will apply to arbitration awards made after its entry into force in the DRC. The law was promulgated at the end of June and will enter into force 90 days after the DRC’s deposit of this instrument with the Secretary-General of the United Nations following its official publication.
The DRC is understood to have made both the reciprocity and commercial reservations permitted by Article I(3) of the Convention as well as an additional reservation excluding the Convention’s application to disputes related to immovable property situated in the DRC.
The DRC’s accession to the New York Convention follows hot on the heels of its joining OHADA (Organisation pour l’Harmonisation en Afrique du Droit des Affaires) in July 2012, which entails application of its Uniform Act on Arbitration based on the UNCITRAL Model Law.