Overthelastsixdecades,Africahasattractedlessthan4%ofglobalforeigndirectinvestment,andyetispartytonearlyaquarteroftheworld’sinvestmentcasesundertheInternationalCentreforSettlementofInvestmentDisputes(ICSID).TheAfricanstates’supportwasindispensableforthecreationoftheICSID,butonceitbeganitsadjudicativefunctionitbecameasourceofdreadforAfricans.Sincethebeginningofthenewmillennium,however,Africahasembarkedoninnovativereformeffortsandquestionedtheshortcomingsofinternationalinvestmentlaw.Africa’sInternationalInvestmentLawRegimesoffersaqualitativestudyofmorethan30casesrangingfromthe1970stopresentandmethodicallyappraisesAfrica’sinvestmenttreatyactivity.Intheseexaminations,WonL.Kidaneassesseswhethertheadoptedandproposedcontinental,regional,andbilateralreformeffortsareindeedresponsivetotheactualdeficienciesoftheexistingregime.ThisbookisuniqueinitsthoroughtreatmentofAfricanICSIDcases.Kidane’sconclusionsilluminatealackofevidenceinclaimsofinstitutionalbiasbutaddressthereckoningAfricanstateshaveundergonetobecomefullparticipantsintheprocesswithproperrepresentation.Africa’sInternationalInvestmentsLawRegimesisanessentialreadforacademics,practitioners,policymakers,andinternationalstakeholdersalikeasthesecasesandreformedtreatieshaveandwillcontinuetoshapethejurisprudenceoftheICSID,thenatureofinternationalinvestmentlaw,andISDSingeneral.
