Over 400 members of bar associations across Africa and representatives from regional and international organisations will convene in Addis Abeba next month for the 14th Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) Congress. The event is expected to bring together legal professionals from across the continent, under the theme "Africa as a Global Powerhouse: Empowering Minds, Enlightening Paths." PALU is a leading African legal institution comprising over 1,200 members, including national bar associations from 55 African countries and eight regional organisations. The union enjoys observer status with the African Union and the United Nations, reflecting its important role in the global legal community. Initially, Morocco's Marrakech was set to host the congress, but the PALU Executive Committee, in its February 2024 meeting in Yaoundé, Cameroon, decided to transfer the hosting rights to Ethiopia. A 17-member local organising committee has been formed to oversee the preparations for the congress. , working closely with the international organising committee, co-chaired by Theodros Getachew, the current Deputy President of PALU.