THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS AND
CONVENTION ASSOCIATIONS (ICCA
AFRICA)
THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS OF PROFESSIONAL
ASSOCIATIONS’ CONFERENCES
BY JUSTICE EUSEBIA MUNUO (Rtd).
The Legal Implications of Professional
Associations Conferences
The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA
Africa) through its distinguished member, the Arusha
International Conference Centre (AICC), kindly extended an
invitation to the Tanzania Women Judges Association (TAWJA)
to attend this august assembly of
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Convention Centers
Hotels
Convention Bureaus
Congress organizing specialists
Airlines
Tour Operators
And other stakeholders
The Legal Implications of Professional
Associations’ Conferences
• Fortunately TAWJA nominated me to participate in
this conference which is why I am in Maputo today.
• On behalf of TAWJA and on my own behalf, I wish to
express profound appreciation to the organizers of
the conference for inviting TAWJA and myself to this
distinguished meeting of conference conveners and
experts.
• TAWJA is familiar with conventions, conferences,
workshops, seminars and meetings because it has
various training programs within and outside
Tanzania.
The Lgal Implications of Professional Associations
Conferences
• By status TAWJA and the IAWJ are charitable, nonprofit making NGOs.
• Under the USA law the IAWJ does not pay taxes.
• TAWJA does not pay income tax but it is not exempt
from paying VAT on supplies and services.
• TAWJA makes contracts with other stakeholders like
the AICC although the former is not a corporate body
with powers to sue or be sued.
• TAWJA and the IAWJ discharge their obligations with
professional distinction and lead by example.
The Legal Implications of Professional Associations’
Conferences
• By training , professional integrity and competence,
judges negotiate and make contracts carefully to pre
empt disputes and litigation.
• The IAWJ was founded in 1991 and has to date not
been entangled in legal wrangles with clients or
associates or other stakeholders.
• TAWJA was formed 2000 and has been running
different training programs and has not had cause to
be involved in litigation.
The Legal Implications of Professional
Associations’ Conferences
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A Short Profile of TAWJA
TAWJA is a national chapter of the International
Association of Women, a worldwide nongovernmental organization with over 5000 members
from more than 100 nations.
TAWJA commenced as an NGO in November, 2000.
Founder members were about 15 in number in year
2000 but have since grown to 200 plus.
TAWJA members comprise of all levels of the
magistracy, Judges of the High Court of Tanzania
The Legal Implications of Professional
Associations Conferences
• And 4 Justices of the Court of Appeal of
Tanzania which is currently the highest court
of the land.
• TAWJA’s logo is a globe shaped world with a
cross looking downwards reflecting the
serious underdevelopment and
marginalization of women, children and other
vulnerable groups.
• TAWJA has a Vision and Mission:
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Conferences
• Vision: Combat Gender Based Violence (GBV)
and discrimination against women and other
vulnerable and disadvantaged persons.
• Mission: Promote equal justice and equal
equality before the law as guaranteed by the
constitution as well as regional and
international law norms.
The Legal Implications of Professional Associations
Conferences
• Constitution: TAWJA’s Constitution provides for the
promotion and advancement of human rights
especially women and child rights.
• Training, exchange of study tours, research to
enhance judicial and legal knowledge, best practices
of adjudication and decision making skills,
professional integrity and competence all of which
enable judicial officers to competently administer
justice.
• Promotion and protection of equal justice
The Legal Implications of Professional Associations
Conferences
• Conducting national, regional & international
conferences, workshops and seminars for
judges, magistrates, law enforcers and other
stakeholders for capacity building
TAWJA PROGRAMS:
• TAWJA has successfully conducted 3 major
Programs namely- JEP, JOG and current
program coined SEXTORTION by the IAWJ
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Conference
• 2001-2003, Jurisprudence of Equality Program
(JEP)
-The JEP was sponsored by UNIFEM (now
UNWOMEN) to disseminate knowledge and
skills to judges and magistrates on the
application of domestic, regional and
international human rights laws to resolve
disputes which come before the courts of law.
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Conference
• 2007-2009: Jurisprudence on the Ground (JOG) this
was an extension of JEP but funded by the United
Nations Democracy Fund (UNIDEF).
• JOG was implemented by the IAWJ and jointly
executed by TAWJA and the Society of Women
Against AIDS in Africa-(SWAA-Tanzania), a
Community Based Organization (CBO)
• Focused human rights for widows, widowers,
orphans and other vulnerable persons.
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Conferences
• JOG created and raised awareness on the laws against GBV,
discrimination, sexual offences, inheritance, property, rights
and child law.
• 2009-2012 under the Millennium Development Goal 3
(MDG3) Program, TAWJA and the IAWJ initiated The
Sextortion Program which was funded by the Royal Dutch
Government to combat sexual exploitation by abuse of power
in Tanzania, Bosnia Herzegovina and the Philippines.
• The program was coined sextortion by the IAWJ in the hope
that naming sexual exploitation by abuse of power sextortion
would facilitate stopping it at work places.
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Conferences
• Under the MDG3 Program, TAWJA conducted
seminars, workshops, published brochures and a
Toolkit on sextortion to sensitize officials, teachers
and the public against the embarrassing human right
violation of sexual abuse by unethical public officers,
religious leaders, traditional healers, doctors,
teachers, lecturers, supervisors and others.
• When the MDG3 Program expired, UN Women
Tanzania extended the sextortion program to combat
sexual abuse by officials on their subordinates.
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Conferences
CONFERENCES
• In August 2009 TAWJA convened the IAWJ Africa
Region Conference at the AICC, Arusha which
brought together Women judges and other legal
luminaries from West, South and East Africa to
deliberate on equal justice, gender based violence,
discrimination and access to justice.
• Over 300 delegates participated in the Regional
Conference.
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The 2014 IAWJ Biennial Conference
• In May, 2014, Tanzania, through TAWJA, hosted the 12th IAWJ
Biennial Conference at the AICC, Arusha.
• The IAWJ Biennial Conference rotates from continent to
continent. In 2010 it was held in Seoul, South Korea; in 2012 it
was convened at the Westminster in London and in 2014 at
the AICC, Arusha. In 2016 the biennial conference will be held
in Washington DC.
• Over 500 delegates from about 40 countries worldwide
attended the 12th Biennial Conference from 5-9 May this
year.
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Conferences
• Delegates comprised of women judges and
legal luminaries from Asia, Africa, North
America, South America and Europe.
• Some of the Delegates and their families
toured the Ngorongoro Crater, the
Serengeti,Tarangire, Manyara, Zanzibar and
some villages on the slopes of Mount
Kilimanjaro before and after the conference.
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Conferences
• His Excellency Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, the
President of the United Republic of graced the
Official opening at midday on the 5th May,
2014.
• His Excellency, Dr. Ally Shein, the President of
the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar,
commissioned Ambassador Seif Ally Idd to
officiate the Closing of the Conference on the
8th May 2014.
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CONCLUSION AND WAY FORWARD:
• As hosts of the IAWJ Biennial Conference, TAWJA had
to work with many important agencies ranging from
airlines, immigration, law enforcers, the AICC
Managing Director and his staff, tour operators,
hotels, airports, doctors, the Media, the Judiciary, ICT
experts, simultaneous interpreters in English, French
and Spanish and other stakeholders all of whom
were vital joints to the conference.
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Conferences
• The AICC efficiently and with determined
commitment, set and managed the conference.
 Emails from the delegates are still flowing in to
express their satisfaction at the high standard and
hospitality of the AICC and hotels they stayed in.
• Convention, congress and conference centers should
advertise online so that interested persons can bring
more conferences to Africa where tourist attractions
are abundant and highly competitive.
THANK YOU