Research. Policy. Training. African Perspectives.
The Center for International Law and Policy in Africa is a non-partisan, not-for-profit pan-African research think tank advancing international law, regional law, African Union law, policy research, training and institutional engagement.
CILPA works at the intersection of international law, regional law, African Union law, policy research, training and institutional engagement, helping ensure African perspectives remain central to global legal debates.
Connecting legal scholarship, public institutions and practical policy engagement across Africa.
A brief view of CILPA’s research themes, projects, publications, convenings, partnerships and people.
Core areas of CILPA’s legal and policy work.
8Institutional programmes and funded initiatives.
7Journals, reports, papers and policy outputs.
18Conferences, workshops and public convenings.
21Institutions supporting CILPA’s work.
15Staff, trustees, advisers and contributors.
CILPA’s work connects research, legal training, policy dialogue and African perspectives in international and regional law.
View institutional profileCILPA's work spans international law, African Union law, human rights, governance, climate justice, accountability, legal capacity-building, research and institutional development.
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Recent CILPA projects and funded initiatives connecting research, policy engagement and institutional partnerships.
A general support project focused on capacity building and strengthening CILPA’s role in Africa’s engagement with the international legal order.
View projectA brief selection of CILPA’s latest project work. Visit the projects archive for the full portfolio.
A project designed to enhance clarity for States, civil society and other stakeholders on the principle and application of universal criminal jurisdiction.
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A project assisting selected African States participating in the International Court of Justice advisory proceedings with context-specific scientific evidence on climate change.
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A project supporting academic research and a workshop on an international law framework for reparations for historic injustices suffered by people of African descent.
View projectCILPA brings together scholars, practitioners, policymakers, students and institutions through events and high-level engagement.
CILPA’s inaugural symposium and conference in Freetown examined the legal legacy of the Special Court for Sierra Leone and introduced CILPA to the local legal community.
View eventCILPA, with the co-sponsorship of the American Society of International Law and the International Nuremberg Principles Academy, convened a roundtable discussion on Africa, the Ukraine crisis and international law.
View eventThe Center for International Law and Policy in Africa (CILPA), with the co-sponsorship of the American Society of International Law (ASIL) and the International Nuremberg Principles Academy (INPA) hosted a roundtable discussion exploring the International Criminal Court’s ongoing review and reform process.
View eventA publication centre for CILPA journals, occasional papers, policy briefs, reports and scholarly work.
The African Journal of Legal Studies is a peer-reviewed and interdisciplinary academic journal, which was founded by Professor Charles Jalloh and the Africa Law Institute and ran by him for many years before it was brought under CILPA and is now published separately by Brill Nijhoff, focuses on human rights and rule of law issues in Africa, drawing analysis from lawyers, economists, political scientists and scholars from across the continent and beyond.
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This report documents CILPA’s first three years of operations, institutional development, programmes, partnerships and early contribution to international law and policy in Africa.
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This occasional paper examines the relationship between the International Criminal Court and African States, providing background and legal-policy analysis as part of CILPA’s work on bringing African perspectives to the ICC reform discussion.
Read publicationInstitutional updates, announcements, commentaries and event reports.
CILPA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, will convene a high-level symposium on the role and contributions of the International Court of Justice to the peaceful settlement of disputes in Africa.
Read moreCILPA has received accreditation from the Sierra Leone Tertiary Education Commission to offer short courses in international law.
Read moreCILPA has signed MoUs with governments, universities and legal institutions to support capacity building and promote international relations.
Read moreCILPA welcomes collaboration with academic institutions, civil society organisations, development partners, public institutions and researchers working on international and regional law.
