Title: The nexus between foreign direct investment and environmental protection in Ethiopia: appraisal of bilateral investment treaties

Authors: Alemu Balcha Adugna

Addresses: School of Law, Madda Walabu University, Ethiopia

Abstract: With the primary purpose of assessing whether the bilateral investment treaties signed by Ethiopia have paid proper attention to the environment or not, doctrinal legal research methodology is employed. Accordingly, the paper's finding shows that most of Ethiopia's bilateral investment treaties are devoid of environmental protection and sustainable development issues. Yet, 2006 can be marked as a turning point in the history of BITs of Ethiopia. The Ethio-Belgium Luxemburg Economic Union BIT of 2006 has a separate provision on the right to regulate and protect the environment. However, saving for the latest four BITs, namely Ethio-Morocco (2016), Ethio-United Arab Emirates (2016), Ethio-Qatar (2017) and Brazil-Ethio (2018) BITs, other BITs signed by Ethiopia have no separate provision on environmental protection and regulatory space for the protection of the environment. Hence, it is recommendable for Ethiopia to revisit all of its BITs and integrate environmental protection and sustainable development clauses through renegotiation or termination.

Keywords: bilateral investment treaty; BIT; foreign direct investment; FDI; environment; Ethiopia.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPLAP.2023.130004

International Journal of Public Law and Policy, 2023 Vol.9 No.2, pp.148 - 159

Received: 07 Jun 2021
Accepted: 23 Mar 2022
Published online: 04 Apr 2023 *

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