ISDS Case Map
Africa
Economist Tapiwa Mashakada has said the African Continental Free Trade Area is going to suffer a serious setback as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Target for first trade under continent-wide pact is July 1. Tariffs, rules of origin and protocols for services are yet to be agreed on.
The working groups are expected to develop strategic programmes that will help the government domestically address key constraints facing intra-African trade to allow the country to harness the full benefits of the AfCFTA.
We civil society organizations and trade unions from the African continent express our concerns about the proposal presented by the European Union to establish a multilateral investment court and support further reaching reforms of ISDS.
Despite debates about crisis in investment treaty arbitration, most emerging market economies are concluding BITs that provide for ISDS and emerging market multinational companies appear to welcome ISDS.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for deeper investment ties between Britain and Africa at a summit for leaders of 21 African countries.
African political and business leaders complained that trade deals are skewed in favour of Europe, preventing them from building up domestic processing industries.
It is more reasonable to concentrate on building regions and industrialising before attempting the African free trade area.
The following communication is being circulated at the request of the Delegation of the United States.
The African Union Commission’s high representative on Cotonou has warned that keeping the ACP framework will make it harder for the EU to agree on a ‘continent-to-continent instrument’.
