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ADDIS ABABA – With Africa’s economic growth rising more than any other part of the world to 5.6 percent in 2013, the African Innovation Foundation (AIF) has announced the launch of the African Online Library on Law and Governance (the African Law Library), an online database that digitises and aims to improve access to modern and customary law texts, and to other legal documents and secondary sources on African law and governance. Organized by the African Innovation Foundation and Globethics.net Foundation, the event was hosted by the African Union Commission, today on Thursday 28 November 2013.

The African Law Library, implemented by Globethics.net, aims to be the leading online portal for African law and governance and is available free of charge. The library focuses on visibility, access, knowledge, education and the consolidation of the systems of law existing in African countries.

Opening the event, Mr. Erastus Mwencha, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission said “African Online library on Law and Governance” as the inauguration of the library is one that is very close to the AU’s mandate, which aims to “an integrated, peaceful, prosperous Africa, driven by its own people to take its rightful place in the global community and the knowledge economy”.

Mr. Mwencha also highlighted the role of education as a critical sector whose performance directly affects and even determines the quality and magnitude of Africa’s development. (The complete speech is available on www.au.int ).

“The AIF believes in the vision of an Africa without war, famine or poverty, which will allow its countries to stand on an equal footing with others in the global economy. The African Law Library will contribute to this effort by promoting good governance practices, while building a bridge between modern law and customary law to overcome colonial law,” said Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais, AIF founder and initiator of the African Law Library.

The library was initiated in 2012 and will bring lawyers, the business sector, educators and government together to develop ownership in Africa through multidisciplinary research and interaction on comparative law. The online database can be found at: http://www.africanlawlibrary.net/

Description: Description: IMG_0152About AIF
AIF supports innovations and other novel initiatives with potential of contributing to sustainable development of African countries. This includes supporting home-grown innovations, facilitating technology transfer as well as supporting other platforms that enhance the exchange of ideas and collaboration among researchers, inventors, entrepreneurs, investors and policy makers. AIF also promotes transparent processes and procedures within the public sector and combat illegitimate appropriation and dissipation of resources within both the private and public domains. AIF’s areas of activity encompass programs and projects in the fields of: Innovation and Access to Technologies, Governance, Education and Culture and Health. For more information, please visit: http://www.africaninnovation.org

About Globethics.net
Globethics.net is a global network of persons and institutions interested in various fields of applied ethics. It offers access to a large number of resources on ethics, especially through its leading global digital ethics library and facilitates collaborative web-based research, conferences, online publishing and information sharing. The aim of Globethics.net is to ensure that people in all regions of the world are empowered to reflect and act on ethical issues. In order to ensure access to knowledge resources in applied ethics, Globethics.net has developed its Globethics.net Library, the leading global digital library on ethics. For more information, please visit: www.globethics.net

About the African Union
African Union The African Union spearheads Africa’s development and integration in close collaboration with African Union Member States, the Regional Economic Communities and African citizens.  AU Vision An integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in global arena. Learn more at: http://www.au.int.  – African Union Commission.