The purpose of the Berlin Conference (1884-1885) was to regulate European colonization and trade in Africa during the New Imperialism period. It aimed to settle disputes among European powers by creating agreed-upon rules and boundaries for claiming African territories to avoid conflicts between them. The conference established the "Principle of Effectivity," requiring European powers to demonstrate actual control and administration over claimed territories or risk losing their claim. This formalized the "Scramble for Africa," leading to extensive European colonization of the continent. The conference was organized by Otto von Bismarck, the Chancellor of Germany, and included major European powers such as Great Britain, France, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, and others. It laid down guidelines, including the free navigation of the Congo and Niger Rivers, the banning of slave trading, and freedom of trade in the Congo River basin. However, the agreements disregarded existing African political and cultural boundaries, leading to significant consequences for African autonomy and extensive exploitation of the continent’s resources and people. While humanitarian reasons, like ending slavery, were cited, these were generally considered a façade to legitimize European expansion. The conference did not include any African representatives and prioritized European economic and political interests, facilitating rapid and often brutal colonization by European powers, especially benefiting King Leopold II of Belgium's control over the Congo Free State.