RWANDA – From 22 to 25 June 2026, legal and financial sector experts convened in Kigali for the "Knowledge Exchange: Building a Regional Financial Centre" workshop. This four-day programme was developed to support Rwanda’s efforts to build a strong legal, regulatory, and institutional environment for a competitive regional financial centre, while providing a forum for peer-to-peer learning and knowledge exchange. The programme also created an opportunity for CIJ and its partners to learn directly from participants’ experiences, perspectives, and practical challenges, generating insights that can help shape and strengthen future programmes.

On the opening day, the Chandler Institute of Justice (CIJ) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kigali International Financial Centre (KIFC) and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) Rwanda Branch. The MoU formalises a partnership to strengthen institutional capacity, foster regional collaboration, and support sustainable financial sector development.

Meeting a Growing Need

As Rwanda positions itself as a regional financial hub through KIFC, alternative investments, private equity, venture capital, and wealth management activity have grown rapidly. This growth is anchored by KIFC and driven by the wider support of Government institutions in the country.

It has also created demand for a highly skilled community of legal and financial professionals, capable of supporting complex fund structures, regulatory compliance, and the efficient resolution of disputes. Consultations among CIJ, KIFC, CIArb Rwanda, and financial sector stakeholders identified this need, and the workshop was designed in response.

Four Days of Exchange

The workshop brought together approximately 40 to 60 professionals from across Rwanda's legal and financial ecosystem, including private sector lawyers, capital markets regulators, compliance officers, legal advisors from financial services firms, and government legal officers.

Through interactive discussions and expert-led sessions, participants studied alternative investment structures, fund governance, and financial sector regulatory instruments and frameworks. They then turned to dispute resolution. CIArb Rwanda led dedicated masterclasses on arbitration in wealth and asset management, addressing fiduciary duty disputes, investment mandate disputes, and the cross-border enforcement of arbitral awards involving Rwandan sovereign wealth assets.

Throughout, participants drew on global best practice to exchange insights on building robust financial ecosystems, strengthening regulatory frameworks, promoting investment, and resolving financial disputes with greater confidence.

A Partnership for the Long Term

The MoU reflects three shared priorities. On the rule of law, the partnership strengthens the legal and institutional foundations needed to support complex financial transactions and resolve commercial disputes efficiently. On institutional effectiveness, it equips industry practitioners with practical skills in financial law and alternative dispute resolution. On local ownership and sustainability, it draws on the expertise of CIArb Rwanda and KIFC as local institutional partners, embedding these capacity gains within Rwanda's own institutions.

Why This Matters

This workshop is the first in an ongoing programme of collaboration between CIJ, KIFC, and CIArb Rwanda. It contributes to a specialised national cohort of legal professionals equipped to support Rwanda's growing financial sector and reinforces investor confidence in its legal and regulatory environment.

Our sincere gratitude to the Kigali International Financial Centre and CIArb Rwanda for their partnership, and to all the speakers and participants whose expertise and engagement made the workshop a success.

Together, CIJ, KIFC, and CIArb Rwanda continue to strengthen the foundations for a resilient, competitive, and internationally connected regional financial centre.