Founder & Chairman
Ousmane Kane, JD
Founder and Chairman, AABSA — African Advisory Bureau for Strategic Affairs
Profile
International jurist, governance practitioner and strategic adviser
Ousmane Kane is an international jurist, governance practitioner and strategic adviser with more than twenty-five years of experience advising governments, international institutions and senior decision-makers across Africa and other regions.
His career has focused on law, regulatory governance, institutional reform, public-sector accountability, complex negotiations, interagency coordination and strategic government engagement. He has held senior leadership and advisory positions within the United Nations and the United States Government, working with ministries, regulatory and oversight institutions, justice and law-enforcement bodies, and international partners in complex legal and institutional environments.
His work on critical minerals draws on extensive experience in law, regulatory governance, institutional reform, complex negotiations, accountability and strategic public-sector decision-making, with a focus on helping governments strengthen the legal and institutional foundations of mineral development.
At AABSA
Advisory focus
Through AABSA, Ousmane Kane advises on critical-minerals law and regulation, institutional governance, government negotiation preparedness, strategic partnerships, government-investor relations and the responsible use of artificial intelligence in public-sector mineral governance.
His broader professional experience includes institutional assessments, regulatory and governance reform, anti-corruption and financial-integrity initiatives, interagency coordination, international cooperation and capacity building. He has also worked on the evaluation and application of advanced AI systems in legal and regulatory contexts, informing AABSA's emerging work on AI and digital governance.
Education
He holds a Juris Doctor with a concentration in International Law from the New College of California School of Law, a Graduate Diploma in Comparative Law from the University of San Diego School of Law and an executive certificate in advanced negotiation from the Program of Instruction for Lawyers at Harvard Law School.
Leadership
As Founder and Chairman of AABSA, he provides strategic leadership to the Bureau's advisory work and leads the development of its institutional partnerships and multidisciplinary expert network.
Expert network
AABSA complements his legal and governance expertise with specialist professionals in areas such as mining economics, geology, fiscal policy, environmental governance, technology and other technical disciplines as required by individual engagements.
Working languages
English and French.
The AABSA team
Supported by senior advisers and specialists
Board of Advisors · Being established
Senior advisory board
AABSA is establishing a Board of Advisors of senior practitioners from government, law, international institutions and the mineral sector.
Expert network
Specialists for each engagement
AABSA works with specialists in mining economics, geology, fiscal policy, environmental governance and technology as assignments require.