The evolving landscape of Commonwealth trade is stirring optimism among legal professionals, with Ghanaian legal luminary Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko calling it an exciting time for the legal industry.
Following his appointment as Co-Chair of the Commonwealth Legal Network (CLN), Mr Otchere-Darko expressed confidence in the opportunities unfolding for lawyers and law firms under a renewed economic vision for the Commonwealth.
In an exclusive interview with Asaase Radio, the Senior Partner and Co-founder of Africa Legal Associates (ALA) noted that the new leadership at the Commonwealth Secretariat strongly emphasises trade and investment partnerships across its 56 member states.
“With the new Commonwealth Secretary-General expressing a strong new focus and partnerships on trade and investments among the 56 member states, the future is very bright and exciting for lawyers and law firms,” he said.
The Commonwealth Legal Network (CLN), which Mr Otchere-Darko now helps lead, operates under the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC).
The CWEIC is a business-focused organisation accredited by the Commonwealth, and it is central to the push for stronger economic collaboration among member countries.
Otchere-Darko highlighted the significant scale of the Commonwealth’s economic reach, underlining the potential for expansive intra-Commonwealth trade growth.
“With a population of 2.7 billion consumers and a combined estimated GDP of $14.5 trillion and a new leadership determined to help to more than double intra-Commonwealth trade to over $2 trillion by 2030, both CWEIC and CLN will be actively instrumental in making this enhanced business focus of the Commonwealth successful,” he stated.
This renewed emphasis on trade is expected to create a ripple effect of demand for legal expertise for legal practitioners and firms across the Commonwealth.
“It would mean more opportunities for businesses and, certainly, more work for lawyers,” Otchere-Darko remarked, signalling a promising horizon for legal professionals navigating the intricacies of international business and trade law.
