The 6th Conference of Notaries of the Indian Ocean (CNOI) was held in Mauritius from 1 to 4 September 2026 on the general theme “Indian Ocean notariats and the growing mobility of persons and assets”.
Organised by the Chamber of Notaries of Mauritius, chaired by Not. Patrice Avrillon, the conference brought together notaries from Mauritius, Réunion, Madagascar, the Comoros, Djibouti and Mozambique, as well as academics and representatives of anti-money laundering authorities. The event also drew participants from well beyond the region, with the French notariat represented by its Vice-President, Not. Pierre-Jean Meyssan, and the African notariat represented by Not. Mahoua Koné, UINL Vice-President for Africa, and Not. Abdelhamid Achite-Henni, former UINL Vice-President for Africa and current President of the Notarial Deontology Commission.
In her capacity as UINL Vice-President for Africa, Not. Mahoua Koné conveyed the message of UINL President David Figueroa Márquez at the opening session, alongside Not. Thierry Vachon, President of the International Notarial Cooperation Commission (CCNI).
The conference, organised by Not. Wenda Sawmynaden, UINL General Councillor for Mauritius and Chair of the Organising Committee, featured round tables bringing together notaries from each of the territories, chaired in turn by the Presidents of the Chambers of Mauritius, Madagascar, the Comoros and Réunion.
Three areas of work
The scientific programme, opened by a presentation from Professor Élise Ralser (University of Réunion) on the role of the notary in cross-border relations, was structured around three main themes:
- International successions and the transfer of assets in the Indian Ocean: the settlement of successions with a foreign element, gifts and the international will, followed by the circulation of documents and the international effectiveness of authentic instruments in the region, including a review of national legalisation systems and the application of the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.
- International real estate transactions: the legal framework of cross-border property sales, guarantees and security interests, and practical case studies of cross-acquisitions between Mauritius, France, Madagascar and the Comoros.
- Anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT): sharing of good practices between notaries and the region’s financial intelligence units.
The conference concluded with a round table on the functioning of chambers of notaries. Professor Jean-Baptiste Seube (University of Réunion) presented the summary report of the proceedings, before the official closing of the CNOI by President Avrillon.
The UINL thanks and congratulates the Chamber of Notaries of Mauritius and Not. Wenda Sawmynaden on the organisation and hosting of this 6th edition.
