Download or read book International Law and Legal Regimes of Foreign Direct Investment in Selected African Countries written by Nicholas Olwor and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the past two decades, there have been significant changes in national and international policies of foreign direct investment (FDI). These changes have been both cause and effect in the ongoing integration of the world economy and the changing role of FDI in it. They have found expression in national laws and practices and in a variety of international instruments which includes bilateral, regional and multilateral. Traditionally, African States have played an active and relevant role in the formulation and development of international investment law. Generally, the contribution of these states is demonstrated through active participation in deliberations of the Non-Aligned Movement, the role of African States in the creation of specialized institutions such as UCTAD and the strategic use of numerical strength to sponsor numerous United Nations Resolutions. During the epitome of Africa's active participation, African States aggressively resisted the internationalization of foreign investment rules. However, the practice of African States appears to have changed through the conclusion of BITs containing far-reaching treaty provisions.While in earlier times indirect foreign investment was far more important than direct one, FDI acquired increasing importance as the twentieth century advanced, and it began gradually to assume the forms prevalent today. In international legal terms, however, FDI long remained a matter mainly of national concern, moving onto the international plane, where rules and principles of customary international law applied, only in exceptional cases, when arbitrary government measures affected it.After the Second World War, attitudes towards FDI and policies and conditions in host countries were shaped by the prevalence of political support for state control over the economy and the beginning of decolonialization. Socialist countries for a longtime excluded FDI from their territories, while developing countries endeavored to regain control of their natural resources from foreign interests. At the same time, controls and restrictions over entry and operations of foreign firms were imposed in many countries, with a view to excluding FDI from certain industries for the benefit of domestic investors or the State, determining the specific terms under which investments were to be made, and ensuring the participation of local nationals in major industries. No international consensus on the pertinent legal norms could be reached at the time.In the 1980s, a series of national and international developments radically reversed the policy trends prevailing then, with an immediate impact both on national policies regarding inward FDI and on regional and worldwide efforts at establishing international rules on the subject. Now at the end of the 1990s, host countries are seeking to attract FDI, by dismantling restrictions on its entry and operations and by offering strict guarantees, both national and international, against measures seriously damaging the investors' interests. The tone and direction of international legal discourse has significantly changed. Debate among policy makers is now centered on the most efficient ways of attracting FDI and deriving benefits from it rather than on questions of jurisdiction.An international legal framework for FDI has begun to emerge. It consists of many kinds of national and international rules and principles, of diverse form and origin, differing in strength and degree of specificity. The entire structure rests on the twin foundations of customary international law and national laws and regulations and relies for its substance on a multitude of international investment agreements (IIAs) and other legal instruments.An extensive network of bilateral investment promotion and protection treaties has come into existence. They are highly standardized, yet they appear to be capable of adapting to special circumstances. Their principal focus has been from the very start on the protection of investments against nationalizations or expropriations and on free transfer of funds, although they also cover a number of other areas. Regional and plurilateral international arrangements, while binding on a limited number of countries in each case, are increasingly important in matters of FDI. They help to change pre-existing structures of law and policy and create important habits and patterns of expectations on a broader transnational level. Economic integration agreements are a significant subcategory of regional instruments, whose importance has grown in recent years. At the multilateral level, there is no comprehensive instrument on the subject, although a number of recent multilateral instruments of less comprehensive scope are directly relevant, dealing with particular aspects of the FDI process.Legal rules of other kinds, of varying normative intensity and general applicability are also relevant. Soft law texts, adopted by States or international organizations on a non-binding basis, are important elements of the framework. Corporate codes of conduct and other texts of private origin help to formulate widely accepted prescriptions. Traditional arbitration not only provides useful procedures for dispute settlement but also, through the corpus of its awards, gradually fills in the normative conceptual framework for FDI issues.In terms of substance, the provisions of IIAs must be perceived in their constant interaction with national policies and measures. They concern two principal types of issues. A first class of provisions is linked to the process of liberalization, which, in its application to FDI, involves the gradual decrease or elimination of measures and restrictions on the entry and operations of firms, especially foreign ones; the application of positive standards of treatment with a view to the elimination of discrimination against foreign enterprises; and implementation of measures and policies seeking to promote the operation of markets. A second category of issues covers provisions that concern the protection of foreign investments already made against government measures damaging to them. As to both types of issues, it is important to consider the provisions and approaches which import into the operation of IIAs the flexibility necessary for enhancing the development of the host countries concerned.The past decades witnessed an increasingly rapid escalation towards globalization in the world economy. In spite of the tremendous growth of FDI flows and the ambitious expansion of MNEs, no single comprehensive set of multilateral rules has been reached governing the issue of FDI. Developing countries have generally resisted the adoption of a multilateral treaty protecting and encouraging FDI, while industrialized nations, on the other hand, have felt a great need for such an agreement, seeking to establish high standards of liberalization for global investment movements. An international legal framework for FDI has begun to emerge in recent times, which is actually in response to the current uncertainty of the customary international law. It includes, inter alia, national statutory regimes, and international rules and principles established at bilateral, regional and multilateral level. The BITs have played an important role in this process, and the rapid proliferation of these treaties signifies their importance as the potential foundation upon which a future multilateral agreement can be built. Two recent developments have further brought the issue to the fore of the international community: first, the embodiment of a set of investment related rules in the multilateral trading system, and second, the initiative of the OECD to promote an MAI. While the TRIMS Agreement was rather conservative in scope, applying merely to investment measures that have distorting effects on trade in goods, the negotiations on MAI appeared to be far more ambitious. However, the fundamental premise upon which the MAI has been built is considerably flawed and one-sided, which has indeed resulted in its abortion. From the perspective of developing countries, the most significant issue at point is precisely how a multilateral framework can be formulated in such a flexible manner that they could remain sufficient margin of autonomy to benefit from the inward FDI, and thereby pursue their own economic development objectives.
Download or read book African perspectives in international investment law written by Yenkong Ngangjoh Hodu and published by Manchester University Press. This book was released on 2020-12-15 with total page 326 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The tremendous growth in foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa comes at a time when the field of international investment law and arbitration is witnessing a renewal. The investment has led to big business for law firms in the area of investment arbitration and the last decade has witnessed an increased number of investment treaties, proliferating investment disputes, the rise of mega- regional trade agreements and the negotiation of mega- regional infrastructure projects. Yet, while the argument in support of investment treaties as instruments to attract foreign direct investment is highly contested, many African countries are no doubt becoming more aware of the need to reshape the international investment architecture. This volume explores trends in FDI on the African continent, the benefits and challenges that FDI presents for African States, and Africa’s participation in the international investment law regime. Featuring contributions from leading African international lawyers, arbitrators, jurists, academics, and litigation experts, this landmark volume is the first of its kind of explore African perspectives in international investment law. Hodu and Mbengue bring together non-mainstream approaches to the debate on the nexus between foreign investment and development, addressing key conceptual issues that will define contemporary international investment law for decades to come. With insights and critical comments on the challenges of Africa’s foreign investment climate and international investment law, this timely collection is essential reading for academics, students, and practitioners alike.
Download or read book The International Law on Foreign Investment written by M. Sornarajah and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1994-08-18 with total page 454 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The author examines different techniques adopted by States for attracting foreign investment and for ensuring that foreign investment serves their economic objectives.
Download or read book International Investment Law and Policy in Africa written by Fola Adeleke and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2017-09-08 with total page 211 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book studies the international investment law regime in Africa and provides a comprehensive analysis of the current treaty practices in Africa from global, regional and domestic perspectives. It develops a public interest regulation theory to highlight the role of investment regulation in sustainable development and the protection of human rights. In doing so, the book identifies seven factors that should be considered by arbitrators in resolving international investment disputes that affect the public interest. It considers how corporations can be held accountable through investment treaties in the absence of a global treaty on business and human rights while protecting the rights of investors and their investments. Furthermore, the book explores the current objectives and features of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) as well as the deficiencies and its intersection with the rule of law. It identifies alternatives for ISDS and the extent to which these alternatives address the objectives of attracting investment, depoliticise investment disputes, promote the rule of law and offer remedies to investors. These solutions are offered in relation to the protection of human rights, the promotion of sustainable development and the right of states to introduce domestic public interest regulation. Finally, the book takes a prospective stance and discusses future trends for dispute settlement and investment rulemaking in Africa.
Download or read book Africa s International Investment Law Regimes written by Won Kidane and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2023 with total page 657 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Decolonization restored African states' sovereign independence. The post-colonial period was, however, characterized by major economic disruptions that resulted in chronically weakened economies. The newly independent African states faced a profound dilemma between economic liberalization and openness on the one hand, and the maintenance of regulatory autonomy on the other. Confronted with unrelenting poverty and inadequate infrastructure, African states needed direct foreign investment to boost their economies. However, most foreign investors were cautious about investing in African countries due to the perceived lack of clear and predictable legal regimes necessary to protect foreign investments from expropriation and other forms of harm"--
Download or read book The International Law on Foreign Investments and Host Economies in Sub Saharan Africa written by Valentine Nde Fru and published by LIT Verlag Münster. This book was released on 2011 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Foreign Direct Investment and the Law written by Tracy Gutuza and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Investment Treaty Regime and Public Interest Regulation in Africa written by Dominic Npoanlari Dagbanja and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2022-07-14 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A large amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) has been poured into Africa in recent decades and these investments can come with adverse effects on the environment, human rights, and development. At the same time, investment treaties, entered into by African states and aimed at promoting and protecting FDI, seriously limit those states' ability to regulate such activities in the interests of affected communities. Whilst these tensions have generated global debate, little attention has been paid to the legal status of many of these investment treaties, and whether - given their constitutional and customary international law obligations to act in the public interest - African states truly have the capacity to conclude treaties which contain standards of investment protection expressly preventing or unduly abridging the exercise of their regulatory authority. Focusing on this question, The Investment Treaty Regime and Public Interest Regulation in Africa presents The Imperatives Theory: a legal, normative, and principled framework for rethinking the legal status, making, and reform of investment treaties and investment dispute settlement in Africa, with relevant and significant implications for the global investment treaty regime.
Download or read book The BRICS in the New International Legal Order on Investment written by Congyan Cai and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2020-03-31 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The BRICS in the New International Legal Order on Investment: Reformers or Disruptors is written by international experts with BRICS backgrounds. The book investigates why and how the BRICS countries modernize their approach to the investment treaty regime. The chapters are organized by BRICS countries and discuss whether they can develop a common approach to investment treaties as well as what these countries will bring to the investment treaty regime in the future. The volume provides important perspectives on how the BRICS, an emerging power hub in international society, engage in the international legal order.
Download or read book International Investment Law written by Marc Bungenberg and published by Hart Pub Limited. This book was released on 2014-11-30 with total page 2000 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: International investment law is a subject of growing importance and complexity. Anyone interested in international investment law will appreciate the comprehensive, thoughtful and detailed exploration of this area which this distinguished group of German scholars have provided.
Download or read book International Law and the Evolving Legal Regime of Foreign Direct Investment a Developing Country s Perspective written by and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Evolving International Investment Regime written by Jose E. Alvarez and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2011-04-19 with total page 307 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With the growth of the global economy over the past two decades, foreign direct investment (FDI) laws, at both the national and international levels, have undergone rapid development in order to strengthen the protection standards for foreign investors. In terms of international investment law, a network of international investment agreements has arisen as a way to address FDI growth. FDI backlash, reflective of more restrictive regulation, has also emerged. The Evolving International Investment Regime analyzes the existing challenges to the international investment regime, and addresses these challenges going forward. It also examines the dynamics of the international regime, as well as a broader view of the changing global economic reality both in the United States and in other countries. The content for the book is a compendium of articles by leading thinkers, originating from the International Investment Conference "What's New in International Investment Law and Policy?"
Download or read book The Foreign Investment Regulation Review written by Calvin S. Goldman and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 293 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Effect of Treaties on Foreign Direct Investment written by Karl P Sauvant and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009-03-27 with total page 800 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past twenty years, foreign direct investments have spurred widespread liberalization of the foreign direct investment (FDI) regulatory framework. By opening up to foreign investors and encouraging FDI, which could result in increased capital and market access, many countries have improved the operational conditions for foreign affiliates and strengthened standards of treatment and protection. By assuring investors that their investment will be legally protected with closed bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and double taxation treaties (DTTs), this in turn creates greater interest in FDI.
Download or read book Legal Protection of Foreign Direct Investment A Critical Assessment with Focus on South Africa and Zimbabwe written by Talkmore Chidede and published by Anchor Academic Publishing. This book was released on 2016-06-02 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This study undertakes a critical assessment of the legal protection of foreign direct investments (FDI) in South Africa and Zimbabwe by determining their compliance with the international minimum standards, norms and/or best practices on the legal protection of FDI by host states. Firstly, the study argues that foreign investment is much needed in South Africa and Zimbabwe to improve economic growth and development, to create jobs, and to increase their competitiveness. However, these benefits are not accrued automatically but rather host states need to create an enabling environment to receive such benefits. Thus, host states need to put an investment scheme into operation to guarantee the legal protection of foreign investments. South Africa and Zimbabwe have at large crafted and implemented investment laws and related policies which tend to be hostile towards foreign investments. Therefore, similar investment laws and related policies in both jurisdictions are analysed. This study will also offer recommendations for a legal investment which is not only flexible, friendly, and favourable to foreign investment in South Africa and Zimbabwe but also advances their local economic policies.
Download or read book The Origins of International Investment Law written by Kate Miles and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2013-10-24 with total page 499 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An examination of the origins of international investment law and their continued resonance in the twenty-first century.
Download or read book Investment Law within International Law written by Freya Baetens and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2013-08-01 with total page 569 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Developments within various sub-fields of international law influence international investment law, but changes in investment law also have an impact on the evolution of other fields within international law. Through contributions from leading scholars and practitioners, this book analyses specific links between investment law and other sub-fields of international law such as the law on armed conflict, human rights, sustainable development, trade, development and EU law. In particular, this book scrutinises how concepts, principles and rules developed in the context of such sub-fields could inform the content of investment law. Solutions aimed at resolving problems in other settings may provide instructive examples for addressing current problems in the field of investment law, and vice versa. The underlying question is whether key sub-fields of public international law, notably international investment law, are open to cross-fertilisation, or, whether they are evolving further into self-contained regimes.
