Stand-Alone Posts

In this essay, we center some of the intra-African trade wars in context. First, these trade and investment wars reveal the ways in which investors maneuver and respond to the hostile regulatory actions of a hegemon state by moving their investments to a friendlier economy. Our first example between Uganda falls into this category. In response to the actions of the Kenyan government, the investors secured market access in Zambia. Zambia thus became a beneficiary of the trade war between Uganda and Kenya. Second, the trade and investment wars bode well for the future of trade liberalization in Africa under the AfCFTA because this probably points to rising trade volumes between African states. Third, as we show in the context of the examples we discuss, the citizens of States that have taken the more hardline posture on the regulatory measure at the heart of the trade and investment war appear to be worse off in their capacity to generate sustained economic development. Fourth, in some cases, African trade and investment wars are caused by socio-economic conflicts. The xenophobic attacks in South-Africa are illustrative of this example. The xenophobic attacks often escalate to trade wars and retaliatory economic backlashes. Fifth and finally, we loop in the AfCFTA and arguethat the trade wars remain a threat to the realization of the promise of the AfCFTA.

January 31, 2022

UNIDROIT organizes an International Summer School and is currently accepting applications for the Institute’s 2022 International Summer School intended for judges, public lawyers, and senior legislative drafters from African countries. UNIDROIT will also allow a limited number of scholarships to help attend the Summer School.

The application deadline is 28 February 2022.

UNCTAD and IIED are organising a webinar on international investment agreements and climate action on 4 February 2022. This event will bring together experts and stakeholders from government, international organisations, civil society and academia to discuss the reform of the international investment agreements (IIAs) regime for climate change goals.

Contributions to the book are expected to contain conceptual analyses and country studies on taxation, human rights, and sustainable development. The goal is to present comparative, historical and contemporary accounts that will enable cross-exchange of ideas, practices and innovative solutions for taxation and human rights and improving its effectiveness in the Global South.

The News and Events published every week include conferences, major developments in the field of International Economic Law in Africa at the national, sub-regional and regional levels as well as relevant case law.

In an era of interconnectedness, it appears that Japan’s approach towards investment liberalization is rather detrimental. Its stance hinders important causes such as safeguarding the environment and related policies that are being pursued by, both, developed and developing countries. Furthermore, while Japan’s approach towards trade and investment may not pose an immediate and significant threat to the entirety of global rules-based systems, it may cast a serious doubt on Japan’s ability to take an active role on the global stage and to foster global rules-based system.

Nigeria is being careful with its approach in its quest to tax the digital economy. Rather than enacting a stand-alone digital service tax law, Nigeria is amending key parts of its corporate income tax law to accommodate effects of the digital economy. These amendments, particularly the latest amendment on turnover assessment, are not substantially different from an average digital service tax. Both taxes are levied on turnover of digital platforms. The 6% tax rate on turnover is likely to be a major concern for non-resident companies as it is much higher than the digital service taxes in other jurisdictions. France and UK impose 3% and 2% digital service tax respectively; while Kenya, a comparable developing country in the same region, has 1.5% digital service tax. Canada is in advanced stage of launching its 3% digital service tax on all in-country revenues earned on digital activities.

January 24, 2022

We are delighted to invite you to the inaugural Afronomicslaw Academic Forum Annual Conference. The Online Conference is scheduled for the 5th of February 2022. This inaugural conference is co-sponsored by the African Sovereign Debt Justice Network (AfSDJN) and the African International Economic Law Network (AfIELN).

The conference's theme is: 'Critical and Contextual Perspectives to International Economic Law: Amplifying the Voices of African Students and Early-career Researchers'.

January 22, 2022

Following the establishment of the Afronomicslaw Academic Forum in Eastern and Southern Africa, we are delighted to announce the launch of the Academic Forum in West Africa. The Forum welcomes twenty-seven pioneer Representatives from Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Togo and Morocco.

The Forum will be led by the trio of:

The News and Events published every week include conferences, major developments in the field of International Economic Law in Africa at the national, sub-regional and regional levels as well as relevant case law.