Event Report: ICON•S 2025 Conference Highlights

The International Society of Public Law (ICON•S) hosted its Annual Conference 2025 under the theme: “At the Crossroads of Public Law: Equality, Climate Emergency, and Democracy in the Digital Era.” The conference provided a critical platform for global dialogue on pressing legal challenges—and for exploring Africa’s evolving role in shaping public law responses. 

Our team was represented by Dr. Tebogo Lefifi and Dr. Ghati Nyehita on a standout panel titled: Africa at the Intersection of Public Law: Regionalism, Gender, and Digital Transformation.

🔹 Dr. Lefifi, co-presenting with Dr. Victor Amadi, delivered insights on “Strengthening Regional and Sub-Regional Responses to Climate Change-Linked Migration.” Their joint presentation explored how law can shape Africa’s climate response, with Dr. Amadi addressing the human mobility dimension and Dr. Lefifi focusing on public law’s role in facilitating equitable green technology transfer and regional innovation capacity. Together, they offered a broader legal strategy for climate justice in Africa.

🔹 Dr. Nyehita presented her paper, “Gendering Intellectual Property: Equality and Innovation in the Age of Climate Emergency and Digital Democracy,” which examined how women innovators in Kenya and South Africa interact with IP and innovation systems, particularly in relation to climate-smart technologies. She emphasized the systemic exclusion of grassroots innovations from formal IP protection and called for gender-responsive legal reforms that recognize informal and community-led innovation.

The panel also included:
🔸 Dr. Yakubu Nagu (CCLA), who chaired the panel and examined the gendered dimensions of stakeholder engagement in AfCFTA implementation, with a focus on Nigeria.
🔸 Dr. Raisa Nyirongo (CCLA), who explored the intersection of gender, trade, and technology through regional public law frameworks.
🔸 Dr. Albert Puja (UWC) and Mr. Chebo Tamajong Nfor (CCLA), discussed strategies for unlocking Africa’s digital potential through the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol.

Together, the panel highlighted how regional public law mechanisms can foster inclusive, gender-responsive, and climate-resilient innovation in Africa’s digital era. Watch out for forthcoming publications from the panellists, which will expand on these timely and critical contributions to Africa’s public law and innovation landscape.