ISDS Case Map
SADC
Southern Africa Development Cooperation
Three regional economic communities in Africa -- COMESA, EAC and SADC -- are expected to sign an agreement this year to establish an enlarged market covering 26 countries in eastern and southern Africa.
The SADC protocol on investment provides rights to investors, including investor-state dispute settlement provisions, in southern Africa no matter what country they hail from. Thus, it goes way beyond typical bilateral investment treaties (BITs) while protecting foreign companies operating in SADC countries without BIT coverage.
Southern Africa countries’ restrictive trade practices continue to undermine the potential gains of a regional free trade area (FTA).
Negotiations between three trade blocs in Africa to create a free trade area were running behind schedule in terms of reaching their 2014 deadline but were nevertheless progressing, South Africa Trade and Industry Minister Rob Davies said last week.
Namibia’s principled refusal to get bullied into an agreement against what it considered its own best interests has served as an example for other countries originally more willing to give in to the pressure exerted by EU
Trade ministers from SADC member states met in Gaborone yesterday as part of efforts to thrash out a new inclusive Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union ahead of next year's deadline.
The current episode between some African countries and European Union over the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) proves to a great extent what Franz Fanon talks about when he says: “The new day which is already at hand must find us firm, prudent and resolute.”
The Government of Zambia has called on the three African regional economic communities (RECs) -- the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) -- to speed up their free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations.
Economic experts have supported the recent decision taken by the government of Uganda to join the COMESA FTA, saying it would increase the volume of Ugandan exports to the COMESA FTA and promote the country’s economic growth.
A series of meetings involving senior officials and experts from Southern Africa and the European Union are scheduled before the end of the year as the parties attempt to finalise a full Economic Partnership Agreement.
