Tuesday, January 27, 2026

CMS Francis Lefebvre 2 rue Ancelle
92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine
France

Negotiating with African Public Actors

How strengthening the capacities of public actors fosters balanced negotiations and can benefit all stakeholders
In a context where infrastructure projects and sovereign debt agreements play a key role in economic development, the quality of negotiations between public actors and private investors is crucial.

At this conference, organized in partnership with the CIAN, we will address, through concrete examples, the expectations of public and private actors, as well as the solutions implemented by two major players in advising governments:

Through concrete examples, we will address the expectations of public and private actors, as well as the solutions implemented by:

The African Legal Support Facility (ALSF)

An international organization created under the auspices of the African Development Bank, which provides legal and technical support to African governments and public entities in negotiating complex agreements (natural resources, infrastructure, public-private partnerships, sovereign debt). Its action aims to reduce information asymmetries in order to enable constructive negotiations and the conclusion of balanced agreements, thereby limiting the risk of conflicts. The ALSF also identifies international and African legal counsel capable of representing public actors and works to strengthen their capacities. This meeting will also provide an opportunity to explore avenues for enhanced collaboration between the private sector and the ALSF in its areas of intervention.

Global Sovereign Advisory (GSA)
An independent firm specializing in advising states on economic, strategic, and
financial issues. It provides complementary services on
financial strategy and debt management: debt sustainability analysis, debt strategy, active debt management operations, support during negotiations and in dialogue with public or private creditors, and liability management operations, in order to align financial decisions with long-term economic and social priorities. We will see in particular how these actions, by influencing the stability of economies, contribute to improving the business climate.

Speakers:

Olivier Pognon

Director & CEO - African Legal Support Facility

Mathilde Périnet

Director - Global Sovereign Advisory; Chair of the Economic and Financial Commission - Cian

Jean-Jacques Lecat

Lawyer and President of the Legal and Tax Commission - Cian

Find more information and registration here