Bibliographie sélective OHADA

The paper examines the impact of Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs)on economic growth in the five regions of Africa, as well as identifies their respective drivers of growth. It employs the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) multiple regression analysis to examine the relative impact of Foreign Direct Investments, balance of payments, trade openness, technology and quality of labour force on economic growth in each of the five regions between 1980 and 2012. The study finds that foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) have no significant impact on economic growth in the five regions of Africa. The impact of FDI on growth is positive in Eastern, Middle and Western Africa but negative in Northern and Southern Africa. Similarly, there are differentials in the drivers of growth in the five regions. While trade openness is a negative driver of growth in all regions of Africa except in Northern Africa, both balance of payments and quality of labour force have mixed impacts on economic growth in Africa. In addition, technological progress impacted growth in Middle, Southern Africa and Western Africa but it appears that lack of it retarded growth in Eastern and Northern Africa. The study calls for policy reform frameworks that encourage and boost foreign Direct Investment flows to all regions of Africa, particularly Direct Investments in critical sectors of the economies, as well as check the negative effects of foreign Direct Investments. Furthermore, it recommends that regional economic blocks in Africa should be resuscitated and supported to develop and promote intra-Africa trade and Investments.

Les courants de la mondialisation des marchés, marqués par la libre circulation des capitaux et le phénomène du libre-échange ont favorisé la mise en œuvre de politiques communautaires de relance économique et d’attractivité des territoires. C’est dans cette lancée que des regroupements géographiques à visée économique comme la Communauté Économique et Monétaire de l’Afrique Centrale (CEMAC) sont apparus. Six pays de l’Afrique Centrale dont le Cameroun, le Congo, le Gabon, la Guinée Equatoriale, la République Centrafricaine et le Tchad en sont membres et font l’objet de notre analyse sur l’attractivité économique de l’investissement Direct étranger (IDE) dans cette sous-région. L’IDE est devenu un acteur incontournable du processus de développement, et la zone CEMAC une destination privilégiée pour les investisseurs. Il apparait néanmoins une ambiguïté dans les rapports entre le flux d’IDE, la croissance économique et le développement des pays membres de la CEMAC : le taux sans cesse croissant des flux d’IDE entrants dans la sous-région, n’est malheureusement pas toujours synonyme de croissance économique. Pour comprendre ce paradoxe, l’on procède à une analyse des instruments encadrement de l’IDE dans la sous-région CEMAC. Il en ressort que, pour un rendement optimal de ces dispositifs et la garantie d’une croissance économique à long terme dans ces États, il est nécessaire d’associer les politiques actuelles d’attractivité économique des IDE, à une diversification des domaines économiques exploitables , mais aussi adapter les standards internationaux aux spécificités socioculturelles mais aussi économiques de la sous-région CEMAC.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) plays an important role in the world economy and has the potential to contribute towards accelerating the process of economic growth and sustainable development in the least developed countries (LDCs). The paper provides a brief overview of recent trends and patterns in FDI flows to the LDCs, and then takes stock of the policies, programmes and measures pursued by host and home countries and by international organizations to stimulate FDI flows to LDCs and increase their benefits for these countries. It then lays out a number of policy proposals on how flows to LDCs, and the benefits associated with them, can be enhanced. Finally, it outlines some options for international action to strengthen such efforts – proposals and options that are also relevant to other developing countries.

The Organisation for the Harmonisation of Business Law in Africa (OHADA) was established for the purpose of restoring legal and judicial security in the region to attract more investment. The OHADA Treaty included certain areas of business law within its ambit but omitted investment law. There are several laws on investment in the region at the national, regional and sub-regional level that regulate the treatment of foreign investments such as CEMAC and UEMOA investment charters. Moreover OHADA states sign BITs to protect foreign investments. The relationship between the different sub regional laws on investment and OHADA is not yet clear but case law suggests that CEMAC and UEMOA courts recognise the supremacy of OHADA law and their lack of competence to hear matters regulated under OHADA. The standards of protection granted by OHADA states in BITs are very high thus taxing on them. This thesis suggests that OHADA states should either qualify these standards of protection or replace them with more specific provisions. The OHADA system of arbitration cannot effectively settle investment disputes arising out of a BIT leaving international arbitration systems such as ICSID as the best alternative to resolve investment disputes arising out of BITs.

تهدف هذه الدراسة إلى استعراض تجربة الجزائر في مجال جذب الاستثمار الأجنبي المباشر من خلال الإشارة إلى جهودها المبذولة في سبيل تهيئة المناخ الاستثمار لامتلاكها مجموعة من مؤهلات واتخاذها العديد من مزايا التي تأهلها على استقطابه ، إلا أنها مازالت رغم ذلك تصنف ضمن المراتب الأخيرة من طرف الهيئات الدولية نظرا لوجود عدة عوامل تحد في مجملها من تدفق الاستثمارات الأجنبية إليها، لهذا خلصت هذه الدراسة إلى محاولة استعراض مجموعة من الآليات الكفيلة بتهيئة مناخ الاستثمار في الجزائر وجعله يتمتع بالاستقرار والجاذبية على جميع المستويات، وبناء تصور متكامل لعوامل جذب الاستثمار الاجنبي في الجزائر للفترة 1980-2012 ، لمعرفة أثرها على تدفقات الاستثمار الأجنبي المباشر واقتراح معالجات مناسبة لها بما ينعكس بالإيجاب عليها مستقبلا.

L'investissement est une notion récente dans la sphère juridique. Voici quelques années, elle n'était encore employée que dans la règlementation relative au contrôle des investissements étrangers. C'est que, si le droit n'ignorait pas l'investissement, il le saisissait presque uniquement à travers d'autres notions, tels l'apport en société ou le mouvement de capital. Depuis lors, le mot a été très largement juridicisé. Pour s'en tenir à deux exemples, on peut ainsi relever que, dans notre ordre interne, l'existence d'un investissement permet une durée contractuelle longue et que, dans l'ordre international, la qualification d'investissement est aujourd'hui une condition de la compétence des tribunaux arbitraux statuant sous l'égide du Cirdi.Cet accès spontané de l'investissement à la juridicité s'est malheureusement accompagné de certaines incohérences. Ainsi, le mot est parfois employé de manière excessivement large, comme en droit des marchés financiers, où il désigne toute opération relative à un instrument financier. De même, en droit des régimes matrimoniaux, ce que la Cour de cassation nomme les « dépenses d'investissement » recouvre en réalité l'ensemble des dépenses immobilières. Parfois, à l'inverse, certaines opérations dont la qualification d'investissement ne fait aucun doute continuent d'être envisagées à travers des notions qui en sont le simple reflet. L'objet de la thèse est donc de rétablir une certaine cohérence dans l'emploi du mot investissement en proposant une définition juridique de la notion et en esquissant certains éléments du régime qui s'y attache.

La présente étude propose une analyse juridique des produits structurés (art. 5 LPCC), qui la conduit à une réflexion plus large quant à la protection de l'investisseur en droit suisse, de lege lata mais également au regard de l'avant-projet de loi sur les services financiers. L'étude met tout d'abord en lumière les incohérences et les insuffisances du système juridique actuel. Elle propose une définition nouvelle des produits structurés assurant une cohérence au système. Avec comme fil conducteur et illustration la complexité des produits structurés, la thèse explique et critique le retard de la réglementation suisse en matière de protection des investisseurs, tant s'agissant de la conception juridique de l'investisseur que de la concrétisation des règles de conduite par l'émetteur et les distributeurs. Elle expose et discute les règles et pratiques existantes visant à répondre à certains des enjeux posés. Enfin, la thèse énonce des propositions d'amélioration à ces règles, en grande partie relayées par l'avant-projet de loi sur les services financiers.

Venture capital é espécie de empreendimento que vincula dois agentes econômicos, empreendedor e investidor, visando ao desenvolvimento de uma ideia inovadora para posterior comercialização no mercado. O empreendedor é detentor de conhecimento sobre a ideia e o investidor possui os recursos para desenvolver o projeto. O negócio se diferencia dos demais pelo alto grau de incerteza e risco do empreendimento e requer o uso de tipos contratuais adequados para sua limitação. O projeto se inicia com a etapa de contratação, na qual as partes negociam a divisão de riscos e retorno do negócio, seguindo-se a etapa de monitoramento do desenvolvimento das atividades. Ao final ocorre o desinvestimento, com a saída do investidor e venda do negócio. Do ponto de vista da Economia, utilizamos a Teoria dos Jogos e apresentamos os problemas informacionais, riscos e incertezas do negócio, e os incentivos para organizar a cooperação entre as partes. Do ponto de vista de Finanças, debatemos a decisão de financiamento do negócio e as alternativas para diversificação dos riscos do investimento, isto é, a possibilidade de limitação dos riscos pela adoção de estratégias de contenção, que aumentam o interesse em contratar o negócio. Do ponto de vista do Direito, avaliamos qual a estrutura contratual ideal para organizar esse tipo de empreendimento. Analisamos as principais formas usadas para organização do negócio, em especial as sociedades limitadas e as sociedades anônimas fechadas. Avaliamos o suporte normativo aplicável, com destaque para a possibilidade de limitação dos riscos do projeto pela aplicação das normas de Direito Societário a esses empreendimentos. Os principais riscos aplicáveis são os riscos de contratação do negócio, os riscos de alocação do poder de decisão entre os sócios e os riscos de interrupção prematura do projeto. Devido à natureza e características do negócio de venture capital, concluímos que esse tipo de projeto é mais bem organizado como um contrato plurilateral e que não há tipo contratual ideal para alinhar os interesses. Dos tipos existentes, a sociedade anônima fechada é o mais adequado, mas incapaz de limitar todos os riscos do negócio. A conclusão é confirmada, parcialmente, pelas evidências empíricas apresentadas.

A few years ago, African contribution of the world trade was only around 2%. The investors, except those who are exploiting natural resources, never want to dare dispensing their fund in Africa. The reason of this situation was very simple. The majority of investors denounce the juridical insecurity and also the political preponderance across the African continent. With human and natural resources abundant, Africa is regarded as a continent equipped with a great potential of development. The years of independences in Africa saw being born in many States, of the organizations trying to solve these difficulties and to reinforce their capacities by the constitution of international organizations acting in all the fields. But it is only in the year 1990; some organizations appeared in the continent and knew of real rise thanks to the liberal and democratic economic policies. This article wishes to present an assessment of seventeen years implementation of the African Harmonization of Business Law Treaty of 1993. Firstly, it will describe the system from an institutional point of view and hence from a normative point of view. Secondly, during the course of this essay, there will be a focus on analysis of OHADA’s laws, its system and its potential impact. In addition, the article will concentrate on OHADA’s appropriateness in the business sector and necessary guarantees it must offer for a successful investment partnership with foreign investment.

<p>This book examines the law, national and/or international, that arbitral tribunals apply on the merits to settle disputes between foreign investors and host states. In light of the freedom that the disputing parties and the arbitrators have when designating the applicable law, and because of the hybrid nature of legal relationship between investors and states, there is significant interplay between the national and the international legal order in investor-state arbitration. The book contains a comprehensive analysis of the relevant jurisprudence, legal instruments, and scholarship surrounding arbitral practice with respect to the application of national law and international law. It investigates the awards in which tribunals referred to consistency between the legal orders, and suggests alternatives to the traditional doctrines of monism and dualism to explain the relationship between the national and the international legal order. The book also addresses the territorialized or internationalized nature of the tribunals; relevant choice-of-law rules and methodologies; and the scope of the arbitration agreement, including the possibility of host states presenting counterclaims in investment treaty arbitration. Ultimately, it argues that in investor–state arbitration, national and international law do not only coexist but may be applied simultaneously; they are also interdependent, each complementing and informing the other both indirectly and directly for a larger common good: enforcement of rights and obligations regardless of their national or international origin.</p>

La relation dialectique qui unit les traités bilatéraux d’investissement et la jurisprudence du Centre International de Règlement des Différends relatifs aux Investissements (CIRDI) a fait émerger un droit international des investissements. La rencontre de ces deux dynamiques a permis de dépasser leur caractère a priori isolé et fragmenté, pour aboutir à un véritable système juridique international, doté d’une structure, d’une logique et de principes propres. En effet, rien ne pouvait laisser envisager une telle évolution, le régime de l’investissement international se fondant sur une multitude de traités bilatéraux et sur une instance arbitrale ne faisant qu’héberger des tribunaux éphémères. Les mouvements de va-et-vient qui unissaient ces deux phénomènes ont permis de lui donner des normes quasi-universelles, mais aussi un véritable juge à la compétence extensive et surtout de lui insuffler l’unité, l’efficacité, la cohérence et la complétude, faisant de plus en plus ressembler le droit international des investissements à un véritable ordre juridique qui, même s’il relève du droit international, lui permet également d’évoluer.

Le développement du droit communautaire en Afrique de l’Ouest couvre aujourd’hui un large champ qui s’étend aux investissements demeurés au lendemain des indépendances des États africains dans le périmètre de leur souveraineté. Les enjeux actuels du droit international des investissements, en raison des exigences de la mondialisation des économies, ont contraint les États de l’espace CEDEAO et UEMOA, importateurs de capitaux, à faire converger leur réglementation des investissements afin de favoriser leur attractivité et d’en tirer le meilleur parti. La difficulté d’un tel objectif réside dans la nécessité d’arriver à concilier leurs intérêts avec ceux des investisseurs, qui ne sont pas toujours convergents. The development of community law in West Africa nowadays covers a wide field extending to investments which, in the aftermath of independence, remained within the scope of sovereignty of African states. The current challenges of international investment law, because of the requirements of economic globalisation, have compelled ECOWAS and WAEMU countries, as importers of capital, to ensure convergence of their investment regulations so as to make them more attractive and to get the most out of them. The difficulty of such an objective lies in the need to successfully reconcile their interests with those of investors, which do not always converge.

La compétence d'un arbitre chargé d'appliquer le droit international des investissements exige l'existence préalable d'un investissement étranger. Cette étude vise à identifier ce qui constitue un investissement parmi l'ensemble des opérations économiques et financières et à déterminer les conditions auxquelles il doit répondre pour être considéré comme étranger. L'importance de la Convention de Washington explique l'attention particulière portée au Centre international pour le règlement des différends relatifs aux investissements (CIRDI). La diversité des traités bilatéraux et des autres sources normatives dans ce domaine a conduit à proposer une approche fondée sur une dissociation du contrôle sur la base des sources normatives de la compétence arbitrale. Après un exposé introductif sur l'évolution des modes de règlement des différends relatifs à la propriété étrangère et son aboutissement à l'arbitrage international actuel, la première partie de l'étude est consacrée à la définition de la notion juridique d'investissement dans une perspective de qualification par l'arbitre. La seconde partie analyse la seconde exigence pour établir la compétence de l'arbitre, celle d'extranéité de l'investissement, et elle expose les conditions liées à la nationalité de l'investisseur.

The chapter challenges claims about depoliticization in two different aspects. The first examined claim is that home states are disenfranchised from pursuing investment claims once they are lodged with ICSID. Is it the case that home states simply stay home? This chapter examines instances where home states may have played a role in investment disputes between contracting states. What the record generally reveals, however, is that home states involve themselves in disputes where ICSID hearings are imminent but not yet in play. The second, broader, reading of depoliticization maintains that disputes now are resolved without recourse to lowly politics but to ‘higher’ law. This more extravagant claim is vulnerable to the critique that investor-state dispute resolution is not emptied of political content but, instead, spills over with politics. As the regime implicates the capacity of public authority to act in a wide variety of regulatory contexts, the separation of law from politics is hard to credibly maintain. Not only are investor-state disputes embedded within regimes of political discourse and political power, the ambit of investment arbitrator discretion is so capacious that it can be said of arbitrators, as it has been said of the U.S. Supreme Court, that they can sensibly be regarded as political actors.

This thesis consists of three essays on trade, investment, and taxation that are unified by their policy relevance to developing countries. Following an introductory chapter on policy reform, the first essay revisits the institutional determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) using a comprehensive new data set covering more than 80 countries. It exploits the presence of confirmed zero investment flows between countries to estimate productivity cut-offs of firms that invest abroad profitably. This approach corrects likely biases arising from firm heterogeneity and country selection in a theoretically derived gravity-type model. The analysis finds inward FDI to be highly responsive to cross-country variation in specific institutional provisions, such as arbitration of disputes and legal procedures to establish foreign subsidiaries. The importance of FDI-specific regulations stands out even after controlling for the general quality of institutions. Statutory openness to FDI, however, has no association with actual inflow of investment. The second essay examines cross-national differences in the survival of exports through the lenses of product, industry, and country characteristics. The estimates are derived from a new application of discrete-time models instead of the continuous-time (Cox) models that are standard in trade duration analysis. The examination of exports originating in more than 100 developing countries covering 4000 products over 12 years shows that export flows are much more fragile than suggested by trade theory. Using new measures of product sophistication and export diversification, the paper finds evidence of information and network externalities that aid export survival. Exports concentrated in a few industries or in a narrow range of destination markets exhibit higher rates of death, whereas export concentration within some industries is positively associated with survival, suggesting a synergistic network effect. The probability of export death decreases with proximity from the capital content of products to the national factor endowment, competitive real exchange rate, and bilateral trade preferences. Further, death rates for dynamic subsets of exports like manufactured components and processed food differ from other products, belying the notion that short durations are necessarily a result of poor exporter capabilities. The third essay assesses the revenue implications of coordinated tariff and tax reforms. It is shown for a sample of low-income countries over 25 years that they have had a mixed record of offsetting reductions in trade tax revenue, and that Value-Added Tax (VAT) has, at best, played a limited role. The paper then analyzes the specific case of Nepal, using a unique data set compiled from unpublished customs records of imports, tariffs, and all other taxes levied at the border. It estimates changes to revenue and domestic production associated with two sets of reforms: i) proportional tariff cuts coordinated with a strictly enforced VAT; and ii) proposed tariff cuts under a regional free trade agreement. It is shown that a revenue-neutral tax reform is conditional on the effectiveness with which domestic taxes are enforced. Furthermore, loss of revenue as a result of intra-regional free trade can be minimized through judicious use of Sensitive Lists that still cover "substantially all the trade" as required by Article XXIV of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).

Cette thèse présente le parcours difficile du droit en matière d’investissements directs à l’étranger vers son internationalisation. La difficulté d’intégration dans le droit international des normes juridiques régissant l’investissement étranger a été due aux changements intervenus dans les relations internationales, à la suite de confrontations politiques, idéologiques et surtout économiques entre les pays. Les mécanismes conventionnels, les traités bilatéraux et la multiplication des arrangements régionaux ont contribué à une juridicisation nouvelle de la société mondiale. Cependant, ce n’est qu'un instrument multilatéral global, généralement accepté et qui échapperait de ce fait aux rapports de pouvoir au niveau mondial qui pourrait consacrer l’avènement d’un droit international en matière d’investissements directs étrangers. Assurant la stabilité du système multilatéral, il serait l’outil juridique qui permettrait de régir différemment la mondialisation économique.