Reforming Ethiopian Bilateral Investment Treaties in Line with Domestic Development Policies: Challenges, Prospects and Simplified Reform Options

Abstract

This article examines the alignment of bilateral investment treaties (BITs) with domestic development policies. The analysis reveals the presence of considerable disparity between Ethiopian BITs and the country's domestic development policies and the importance of ensuring consistency between the two. The potential options to resolve this disparity can be combined on a case-by-case basis, depending on different challenges, such as bargaining power, political commitment, procedural requirements and resistance from other treaty partners. The changing dynamics of global politics and the growing backlash against BITs have created a conducive environment for such reform.

Keywords: challenges, consistency, domestic development policies, Ethiopian BITs, prospects, reform