English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Zendy Plus

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Zendy Tools

Zendy Open

Who are the rule-takers and rule-makers in the African BIT universe? Using computational measures of textual similarity this paper provides a nuanced empirical answer to this question. First, we find that African states tend to be rule-takers in North-South relations, yet enjoy greater agency in negotiations of South-South BITs. Only few African countries, however, use their greater say in intra-African negotiations to include public policy exceptions in BITs. Indeed, recent North-South BITs contain more policy space than their Southern counterparts in Africa. Second, rule-makers and rule-takers also exist within the African South-South BIT landscape. Yet, in contrast to North-South relations, negotiation outcomes seem to be shaped more by expert knowledge than by power asymmetries. Powerful states like Egypt fail to dominate negotiations, while small-island-state Mauritius with its strategic investment policy agenda succeeds in setting the terms of investment agreements. This paper thus provides a more nuanced view of the African treaty landscape, points to new areas of research and highlights the importance of technical expertise in achieving coherent treaty networks.

Rule-Takers or Rule-Makers? A New Look at African Bilateral Investment Treaty Practice