Bibliographie sélective OHADA

This study examines the impact of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on regional trade in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Digital Technologies (DT) sector across 43 African countries from 2014 to 2021. Employing the augmented gravity model and confidence-level estimations, it highlights AfCFTA's mediating role in enabling ICT&DT trade on the continent. Using hierarchical regression analysis of a panel dataset comprising 5,160 observations, the findings imply that trade openness and productive capacities not only facilitate trade in the ICT&DT sector but also result in positive spillover effects across various economic sectors. This study contributes to the international business literature by refining the application of the gravity model to capture the need for sector-specific analyses to unpack institutional dynamics and dis-enablers of trade. It identifies AfCFTA as a pivotal yet underexplored element in the global trade landscape, highlighting its potential as Africa seeks a more prominent role on the global stage. The research stresses the significance of digital empowerment and policy reforms to maximise the benefits of regional integration under AfCFTA.

The international terms of the 2017 FIDIC Red Book (reprinted and amended in 2022) state that, when the contractor is a joint venture (JV), all members are jointly and severally liable to the employer. These terms also establish certain procedural rules—the most important ones being the submission to the employer of the JV undertaking and the appointment of a leader. However, these international terms do not provide for substantive rules pertaining to the plurality of the JV members. These require reference to the applicable law that governs the construction contract. The applicable law can be domestic law, such as Qatari law, or an international soft law, such as the Unidroit Principles. Comparing these two possibly applicable laws, it becomes evident that there are no significant differences between the two regarding the substantive rules concerning a plurality of obligors. Furthermore, it is argued that the majority of these substantive legal rules, whether national or international, are inoperative in a construction contract incorporating the international terms of the FIDIC Red Book.

This article examines the implementation of the Mining, Agricultural and Construction (MAC) Equipment Protocol under the Cape Town Convention in Africa, focusing on enhancing economic growth and sustainable development through improved access to financing for high-value mobile equipment. Africa’s economic development is significantly hindered by inadequate infrastructure, which escalates transaction costs and limits access to international markets. Investment in modern infrastructure, particularly in the mining, agricultural, and construction sectors, is typically expensive for many businesses in the African region. The MAC Protocol aims to address these challenges by providing a uniform legal framework that supports the financing of MAC equipment. The Convention and the MAC Protocol facilitate access to affordable capital and reduce risks for financiers who take international interests in MAC equipment, promoting economic activities in Africa. The article highlights the legal protections offered by the MAC Protocol, ensuring rights against third-party claims and enhancing the enforceability of international interests. The adoption of the MAC Protocol by African States could significantly impact their ability to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by making modern, cost-efficient equipment more accessible, thus boosting productivity and economic diversification. The article advocates for adopting the MAC Protocol, emphasizing its potential to enhance foreign investment in the mining, agriculture, and construction sectors, stimulating economic development in Africa. This strategic move will propel African countries towards greater economic resilience and integration into the global economy. The article also critically analyses and illustrates the several declaration mechanisms available to countries adopting the MAC Protocol, accompanied by a guidance note to sensitize lawmakers when signing and/or ratifying or acceding to the Cape Town Convention and the MAC Protocol.

In contemporary times, the issue of human and labour rights violations has gained significant momentum, rendering it imperative for international organisations, states, and businesses to address this critical concern. It is widely acknowledged that while multinational enterprises can aid in achieving economic growth by investing directly overseas and raising the standard of living for the residents of host nations, their business operations may also result in abuse of human and labour rights. The United Nations (UN) Charter was drafted to set forth obligations for individual states, yet businesses do not bear international legal obligations. The Universal Declaration on Human Rights was adopted to implement the substantive contents of human rights referred to in the UN Charter in the general way. The preamble of the Universal Declaration refers to all organs of society, but, at the time of its adoption, businesses were not considered among such organs. It was inconceivable that business organisations would become so economically powerful within a few decades that they would pose a significant risk to human and labour rights, which would not be easily regulated under the national law of their host nations. It is the hypothesis of this study that numerous multinational enterprises (MNEs) violate core human and core labour rights, and that the existing regulatory framework does not adequately regulate them. To prove this hypothesis, this thesis will adopt a two phased approach. Firstly, a careful case law and literature review will reveal the inadequate regulation of MNEs. Evidence suggests that MNEs are guilty of flagrant labour standards and human rights violations. As a result of globalisation, MNEs have gained stronger international influence, and they are able to move their businesses to countries with low cost of labour and less regulations. This phenomenon weakens the governments of host nations as they are keen to promote foreign direct investment in order to reduce unemployment and to ensure economic growth. As a result, the host nations are encouraged to set laws that will attract MNEs at the expense of human and core labour rights. As result, MNEs are not held accountable in respect of their violation of human and labour rights. Secondly, this thesis will assess the efficacy of the regulatory instruments developed by the international community in response to the mentioned problem. This aspect is covered in Chapter 3 to 7 of this thesis. The strategies include the public and private hard law and soft law mechanisms developed at international level as well as campaigns by Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). Based on evidence, this thesis will conclude that a soft law approach is not fully effective. As such, Chapter 8 of this thesis proposes the introduction of some hard law measures to improve the existing soft law instruments to augment the existing legislative frameworks of the host countries. In particular, the thesis recommends regulatory reforms, which will empower the International Labour Organisation to intervene to prevent the labour rights violations by MNEs and where such violations occur, to at least provide effective remedies to vulnerable employees. This thesis constitutes a theoretical study, which attempts to provide suggestions regarding the implementation of realistic measures, which if implemented, may contribute to the attainment of decent work for all men and women who are engaged in work for MNEs.

Based on bank-level data from 29 Sub-Saharan African countries between 2005 and 2019, we apply panel fixed effects (FE) and two-step system GMM estimators to investigate whether increased cross-border banking affects domestic banking sector stability. We find significant evidence that the stability of banks in host countries declines with an increased presence of foreign banks—and the impact is more pronounced on banks that are small and less efficient. The stability impact of foreign banks is also found to depend on the quality of governance institutional factors in the host country. The findings shed some important insights on the downside of financial liberalisation policy in developing countries and the need for increased cross-border collaboration between home and host supervisory authorities in the SSA region—especially in jurisdictions where the foreign bank affiliates are systemically important. The domestic supervisory authorities thus need to effectively manage the inherent trade-off between reaping the benefits from international financial integration while effectively safeguarding domestic banking systems against cross-border contagion and fragility.

This article explores the terms “BRI dispute” and “BRI jurisprudence”. It undertakes a practical and theoretical analysis that considers whether “BRI disputes” have distinct and visible characteristics and are capable of being identified in a legal sense. This is important since practitioners – arbitration centres and law firms – use the term broadly and without specific criteria. By exploring the customary usage and the approach of legal scholars to the term, presenting examples of “BRI disputes” and examining their unique features, and constructing a theoretical approach (utilizing the concepts of ratione materiae, ratione loci, ratione temporis, and ratione personae; and considering the jurisprudence of the ICSID), this article moves from a broad to a narrow analysis to develop both a definition and a system of registration of “BRI disputes” for use by academics, practitioners, and policymakers.

The purpose of the Competition Act 89 of 1998 as amended (the Competition Act) is, among others, to promote the efficiency, adaptability and development of the economy as well as to provide consumers with competitive prices and product choices. In line with this purpose, the Competition Act provides that a dominant firm is prohibited from engaging in price discrimination if such conduct will likely substantially prevent or lessen competition, which would be to the detriment of consumers. Notably, the Competition Act has established various bodies to regulate competition and act against any conduct prohibited by this Act in South Africa. These bodies include the Competition Commission, the Competition Tribunal, and the Competition Appeal Court. Notwithstanding the prohibition of price discrimination, the Competition Act does not expressly provide adequate enforcement tools for competition authorities to combat uncompetitive practices in the digital era. Moreover, the Competition Act does not expressly grant these statutory bodies clear roles and mandates on providing consumers with adequate and suitable redress when they have been victims of algorithmic price discrimination. With recent technological developments, electronic commerce (e-commerce), and digital transformation, consumers have become vulnerable to various challenges such as excessive pricing, data breaches and algorithmic pricing. The online and digital markets are characterised by complex transactions, innovative technologies and business practices which expose all consumers, including vulnerable consumers, to different risks. As such, the role of the competition authorities needs to be recalibrated to enhance consumer protection on the pricing of goods and services. To this end this paper seeks to investigate the role and ambit of the powers of these competition authorities in the regulation of price discrimination in the context of digital transformation and the digital economy. This is done to assess whether the competition authorities have the necessary tools of enforcement to ensure that markets are competitive and to combat uncompetitive conduct in the digital economy and online markets.

This study examines Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices in Nigerian public sector organisations using a comprehensive mixed-methods approach. The data collection process involved analysing 185 organisation-year observations from annual reports spanning 2011–2020, as well as questionnaires distributed to key stakeholders and interviews with senior executives from various organisations.The analysis utilised a multi-pronged strategy, including quantitative techniques such as regression analysis to explore the relationship between CSR practices and corporate governance mechanisms and qualitative methods such as narrative analysis and thematic coding to gain insights from survey responses and interviews.The findings indicate that CSR practices in the Nigerian public sector are moving in a positive direction. Organisations demonstrated commitment to CSR activities, including community development, education, environmental conservation, and philanthropy. Survey results showed that 83% of organisations engaged in CSR, driven by community acceptance and moral obligation. Additionally, 84% of organisations complied with regulatory frameworks, and 79% aligned their CSR policies with national or international standards. The analysis also found a significant positive relationship between CSR practices and factors such as larger board sizes, greater board independence, the presence of women on the board, and CEOs with longer tenures, higher educational qualifications, and international exposure.By triangulating these findings, it is clear that organisations have a strong commitment to giving back through various CSR initiatives, such as humanitarian assistance, youth empowerment, and educational programmes. Despite challenges such as budgetary constraints and weak accountability frameworks, organisations recognise the perceived benefits of CSR, including increased public confidence, improved stakeholder perceptions, enhanced organisational reputation, trust-building, community engagement, and empowering marginalised communities through education.The insights gained from this study conducted in an emerging economy namely, Nigeria, provide a new understanding of CSR practices in public-sector organisations. They also highlight the proactive approach of public sector organisations towards responsible practices. Consequently, the implications of this research extend beyond national boundaries, encouraging diverse and dedicated leadership to enhance CSR efforts and create lasting social impact. Future studies could explore comparative analysis between the public and private sectors or different countries, as well as sector-specific impact assessments.

The collection of value-added tax from the cross-border supply of digital goods remains a challenge for tax authorities around the world. South Africa is no different. The traditional methods of collecting VAT from the supply of digital goods relies on the honesty of the consumer and on the supplier to account for and remit VAT to the tax authorities in the jurisdiction where the goods are consumed. The traditional collection models are often unreliable, inefficient, burdensome, and expensive for the consumers and the suppliers. The adoption of blockchain technology as a model to collect VAT on the cross-border supply of digital goods has the potential to alleviate the compliance burden on consumers and suppliers of digital goods, improve the efficiency of tax administration, and reduce VAT fraud. Importantly, blockchain technology can create trust between tax authorities, suppliers of digital goods, and consumers. This thesis critically discusses the advantages and disadvantages of implementing blockchain technology for the collection of VAT on the cross-border supply of digital goods in South Africa. This thesis unpacks the consideration factors for policymakers in the implementation of blockchain technology for the collection of VAT on cross-border trade in digital goods. The thesis makes recommendations for the South African VAT Act to be amended to make provision for the collection of VAT by utilising blockchain technology.

The contemporary international system is dominated by international trade. Therefore, it is the fundamental and critical aspect of international economic relations. The study investigated the how African states participate in common bilateral and multilateral trade relations. Its core objective is to study whether trade barriers have been made less cumbersome among the participating countries in African continental region. Common trade and international trade justify the essence of globalization. The wave of globalization has necessitated the flux of multilateralism and bilateralism among the participating nations in the international trade. Methodologically, the study adopted comparative theory of international trade. Its method of data collection is documentary method and analyzed through interpretive studies. As the international trade continues to take the centre stage in the international economic relations; States continue to engage in multilateral and bilateral trade relations. The operations of Transnational Corporations (TNCs) and Multi-national Corporations (MNCs) as non-state actors also engage in multilateral and bilateral agreements with the host states. Several agreements led to the establishment of General Agreement on Tariff and Trade (GATT) and World Trade Organization (WTO) remains conspicuous products of multilateralism and bilateralism in the international trade in the recent time. African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) is a multilateral agreement enacted by fifty-four members of the African Union (AU) in 2019 to boost trade relations among them. Its core benefit is to facilitate free trade and removal of trade barriers in the region Therefore, this study is set to examine the advantages and impacts of AFCFTA and other multilateral and bilateral agreements in Africa and the world at large.

The Uniform Act relating to General Commercial Law of the Organisation for Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa (hereinafter referred to as the OHADA Uniform Act) establishes a commercial sale regime applicable to any trader (natural or legal person), including any commercial companies whose place of business or registered office is located in the territory of a party to the Treaty on the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa. In this study we propose to analyse the non-performance of commercial sale agreements, focused on its termination regime, by reflecting on the right of termination, the termination by judicial means, its grounds, exemption from liability and the effects of termination. The economic and legal relevance of the commercial sale contract justifies the opportunity to reflect on how legal standardisation process has been achieved overall, particularly with regard to termination regimes. Both OHADA Uniform Act and the Vienna Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods of 1980 (CISG) were conceived as unification mechanisms to circumvent the constraints and legal uncertainty associated with cross-border trade. Therefore, this analysis aims to assess how OHADA rules embody the long process of evolution in French law, as well as the influence of the CISG.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between employee pilferage of pilferage and security in beverage manufacturing companies in Lagos State. The study is anchored on the rational choice theory in order to understand the connection between pilferage and security in beverage manufacturing companies in Lagos State. The researcher adopted a mixed research method involving survey research and historical research designs. The population of this study is 8,595 staff. This comprises all employees of Promasidor Nigeria Ltd, Nigeria Bottling Company (Coca Cola), Cadbury Nigeria Plc, and Guiness Nigeria Plc. The sample size of the study was 400 determined using Rakesh Sample size formula. Data were collected from primary and secondary sources. Primary data were collected using questionnaires, while secondary data were collected from related works on pilferage and security in beverage manufacturing companies. Data collected from questionnaire were analyzed using absolute frequencies and simple percentages, while data from secondary sources were analyzed using relational-content analysis. Among other things, it was found that the higher the level of pilferage, the lower the level of security of employees in beverage manufacturing companies in Lagos State. Among other things, it was recommended that given that there is relationship between pilferage and security in beverage manufacturing companies in Lagos State, beverage manufacturing companies in the state should ensure that stealing is drastically reduced in their various organizations through employment, training and proper motivation of staff who must be full-time staff. This would largely make the employees committed to work and shun pilferage.

This research empirically examined the relationship between tax revenue and economic growth in Nigeria for the period 1994-2021. Ex-post facto research design was adopted in the investigation. Multiple regression analysis was employed, in which Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model as the method of analysis was utilized in the research. The ARDL model evaluates long-run and short-run interactions among the specified variables. The unit root tests conducted using Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) revealed that the time series variables used were stationary at level and the first difference, but none of the variables was stationary at the second difference. The ARDL – Bound test analysis revealed the existence of long-run equilibrium relationship between tax revenue and economic growth in Nigeria within the period of the study. The coefficient of error correction mechanism was statistically significant and also negatively signed. The results equally showed that both company income tax and value added tax were statistically significant and positively related to economic growth in Nigeria in both shot-run and long-run periods; whereas personal income tax was statistically insignificant and positively related to economic growth in Nigeria in both short-run and long-run. Based on the findings, the study therefore recommended tax authorities responsible for tax administration should upgrade the tax database to capture all potential tax-payers in order to broaden tax income.

The study investigated the impact of exchange rate depreciation on import demand in Nigeria from 1986 to 2021. The data used was sourced from Central Bank of Nigeria. Ex-post facto research design was adopted in the investigation. Multiple regression analysis was employed, in which Auto-Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model as the method of analysis was utilized in the research. The ARDL model evaluates short-run and long-run interactions among the specified variables. The unit root tests conducted using Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) revealed that the time series variables used were stationary at level and the first difference, but none of the variables was stationary at the second difference. The ARDL – Bound test analysis revealed the existence of long-run equilibrium relationship between exchange rate depreciation and import demand in Nigeria within the period of the study. The coefficient of error correction mechanism was statistically significant and also negatively signed. The results equally found that exchange rate depreciation is statistically not significant and negatively impacted on import demand in Nigeria in the short-run. However, in the long-run, exchange rate depreciation is negatively impacted to import demand and statistically significant. Causal relationship does exist between exchange rate depreciation and import demand in Nigeria with causation running from import demand to exchange rate depreciation. On the basis of the findings, the researcher made the following recommendations among others: Government should consider inward looking to strengthen the imports substitution policies that ensure massive production of goods and services.

This work explored the dynamics of Nigeria-China relations from the political and economic points of view between 1999-2023. The primary concern of this paper is to discern the extent Nigeria-China relations is mutually beneficial and how Nigeria can stand to gain more if the relationship is properly aligned to Nigeria’s national interest. The central argument of this work is that Nigeria stands to gain more from China than from the West bearing in mind the fact that over one hundred years of Africa’s relationship with the West has been largely exploitative and disadvantageous. In this regard, the research employed both primary and secondary sources of data collection. The primary sources relied on first-hand information gathered from the Chinese Embassy as well as key actors within the Nigeria External Affairs Ministry and Key Informant Interviews on experts in Nigeria-China relations. The secondary sources relied on already existing information from libraries, text books, journals and the internet. The theoretical framework employed is the Complex Interdependence Theory. The conclusion drawn from this work is that Nigeria-China relations have not fully developed to the extent of being more beneficial to Nigeria economically and politically. What currently subsists is that China is gaining economically more in terms of trade to Nigeria’s disadvantage. However, politically and socio-culturally, the two countries are mutually benefiting due to various diplomatic protocols and cultural exchanges. The study recommended among others that Nigeria must strive to develop her techno-industrial export-oriented base to ensure more symmetric beneficial relationship with China.

This study investigates the impact of the arbitration cases under the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) scheme on cross-border direct investment in the form of merger and acquisition deals. The initiation of ISDS claims has significant and negative effects on direct investment from the claimant home country to the developing or weak-institution responding country. Indirect expropriation claims often have stronger effects than direct expropriation claims. The investor-win arbitration cases produce a significant substantiation effect by reducing merger flows, while the state-win cases produce an acquittal effect that encourages the subsequent capital inflow to the respondent state. Both effects are more striking in weak-institution or less developed target countries. We also detect some spillover effects of ISDS arbitration.

This study extensively explored the potential of digitalization in The Gambia Revenue Authority's tax administration, amidst concerns over the practical application of digital tools and their underutilization, which have hindered the realization of improved revenue mobilization and efficient tax processes in The Gambia. The research, adopting a mixed method design, aimed to understand the intricate relationship between digitalization and tax administration in The Gambia. With specific objectives, including identifying driving factors, examining effects, and evaluating the correlation with GRA's performance, the study adopted quantitative and qualitative analyses. Similarly, the study population is two thousand, one hundred and eighty-eight (2188). Using Krejcie and Morgan (1970) formula, out of 2188 population of the study, three hundred and twenty seven (327) were selected as the sample size. This encompassed individuals drawn from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs, GRA staff, and corporate taxpayers using a stratified and proportionate-to-size sampling approach. Hypotheses analysis revealed a statistically significant and positive effect of digitalization on tax administration, indicating improved efficiency and GRA effectiveness. Also, Spearman's rank-order correlation affirmed a positive relationship between digitalization and tax administration. Furthermore, qualitative insights from stakeholder interviews highlighted drivers such as international financial body stipulations, modernization imperatives, trust-building, accurate record-keeping, and alignment with global standards. Recommendations include training programs for GRA staff, public awareness campaigns, and enhancing user experiences for e-payment systems, among others.

Most transactions that leave an imprint on the environment and communities are organized by commercial contracts. However, little is known about the way in which parties reflect sustainable development in contractual clauses. How can parties to international contracts commit to respect sustainable development goals? What are the possible degrees of commitment? Which contractual mechanisms can apply to the monitoring of compliance? How does one establish a link between the failure to meet sustainable development goals and the contractual liability or termination of contract? This article identifies contractual clauses relating to sustainable development and analyses these clauses through the lens of the 2016 International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (Unidroit) Principles of International Commercial Contracts (PICC). Drawing inspiration from open access contracts, the analysis will demonstrate that Article 1.8 of the PICC, precluding inconsistent behaviour, and Articles 5.1.4 and 5.1.5, on the duty of best efforts and the obligation to achieve a specific result, as well as the provisions on liability, can assist contract drafters, judges, and arbitrators in drafting and interpreting such clauses.

Although the forging of an efficient system for enforcement of security interest is one of the central expectations of secured transaction law reforms in civil law systems, the results hardly give reason for satisfaction. As the reforms tend to be supported and influenced by various international organizations’ projects (especially the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law, and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law), most out-of-court methods of enforcement of security interests have played a central role. Yet due to civil law’s general hostility towards self-help as such, either the introduction of the concept has been rejected or the local limited-reach kin have been merely ‘paper tigers’. Similarly, although security interests on several types of collateral (accounts, investment property) or on the workhorse of the English financial system—the floating charge—have also been enforced extrajudicially (save the exceptions), little attention has been attributed to these enforcement modalities. The same applies to strict foreclosure in civil law systems still being prohibited, or restricted, and thus rarely resorted to, due to the inherited hostility towards the doctrine of lex commissoria. Rethinking local laws on preliminary and temporary court orders to match them with such globally known ex parte preliminary measures as the English Mareva Injunction or the French Saisie Conservatoire, which allow creditors to swiftly freeze debtors’ assets and thus substitute self-help repossession, has also been given short shrift. The enforcement segment, consequently, remains the Achilles’ heel of secured transaction law reforms in civil law systems. This article desires to contribute to reform literature by addressing these deficiencies and by offering tested, fully or partially fitting, functional equivalents of self-help repossession.