Deeper Commitment to Human Rights Treaties: Signaling and Investment Risk Perception

Why do some leaders make deeper commitments to human rights treaties (HRAs) by consenting to receive extra monitoring of complaints or communications from individual citizens? Extant theory suggests leaders join HRAs for tangible benefits. However, empirical support for this argument is mixed. To address this mismatch, we approach this question from a different angle. We argue that by ratifying HRAs, leaders send a signal that they are reliable partners who value future returns. Accepting optional articles and protocols that increase monitoring of the state’s human rights behavior, without changing the state’s substantive obligations, helps better signal that the regime does not fear instability nor sees the need to resort to the proscribed abuses in the future. This, in turn, serves as an important middle step to recognizing tangible benefits, such as foreign direct investment, by improving investors’ risk perception of ratified countries.     

The deep marketisation of development in Bangladesh

This article introduces the concept of ‘deep marketisation’ as a relatively new, contemporary phase of neoliberal development policy in Bangladesh. By looking into the development strategy of the country’s energy sector, the article shows how an emphasis on marketisation through public-private partnerships (PPPs) and other strategies advances a market fundamentalist agenda to strengthen the private sector and establish a world market. By drawing on interviews with development practitioners from various development organisations in Bangladesh, the article further reveals how development conceptualisations are shaped by the strategy of deep marketisation, leading to the impoverishment of development by constraining its field of actions to measures based on the primacy of economic growth and private sector-led economic development, at the same time leading to a re-legitimisation of flawed neoliberal development policies that result in further inequality, poverty and environmental degradation.     

Determinants of foreign direct investment and entry modes of Polish multinational enterprises: A new perspective on internationalization

This study uses firm data to examine the locational trends of foreign direct investment projects undertaken by Polish companies. The findings of the study are consistent with the evolutionary models of internationalization. Companies in the early stages of internationalization are motivated by markets and resource seeking, whereas efficiency seeking and strategic asset seeking are significant motivators in the advanced stages of internationalization. However, our results with respect to Polish cross-border acquisitions by service companies and greenfield foreign direct investments by industrial or manufacturing companies did not confirm the evolutionary model findings. We found evidence that, in both cases, investments are motivated by the need for efficiency or strategic assets.     

The Africa-China relationship: challenges and opportunities

The dramatic growth in the relationship between Africa and China is one of the great stories of the twenty-first century, part of the profound transformations taking place in the global political economy. It has been greeted with excitement, consternation, and confusion. To its cheerleaders, it represents the enduring partnership between Africa and China, spawned by the historical affinities of struggles against Western imperialism and humanistic aspirations for development. To its critics, it is reminiscent of European colonisation a century earlier, in which Africa serves as a cheap source of raw materials, a lucrative export market for Chinese manufactured goods, and an outlet for its surplus capital. Rather than a development partner, some see China as Africa's biggest development competitor, whose explosive growth and insatiable quest for global markets threatens Africa's industrialisation and competitiveness. This paper examines the factors behind the development of Africa-China relations, especially its economic magnitude, and the challenges and opportunities it offers both regions.     

War-torn countries,natural resources,emerging-power investors and the UN development system

The unsustainable aid dependency of war-torn countries – most of which are rich in natural resources – makes it imperative to start gradually replacing aid with foreign direct investment (fdi) and exports. This article identifies ways in which stakeholders – governments, the international community, including the UN development system, foreign investors, and local communities – could work together in a ‘win-win’ situation. Most crucial is avoiding conflict-insensitive policies that fuel discord by putting governments and foreign companies, often from emerging markets, in direct confrontation with local communities. The control of natural resources is often a root cause of conflict, and the latter’s exploitation can become a major challenge as wars end. The peculiarities of war-torn countries are discussed along with the specific impediments to attracting fdi into the exploitation of natural resources. An effective and fair legal framework is necessary to ensure that investors do not operate as ‘enclaves’, creating new conflicts.     

气候变化背景下外国投资者与政府争端的解决——以我国双边投资协定为例

我国签订的双边投资协定中一般都规定了投资者与东道国政府间投资争端的解决方式,尤其是晚近我国所签订的双边投资协定多数允许投资者将争端提交国际仲裁。但是,在目前全球应对气候变化背景下,作为温室气体排放大国,我国有义务控制和减少温室气体的排放,采取相应的环境规制措施,这些环境规制措施可能会损害或影响到外国投资者在我国的利益。根据双边投资协定,外国投资者可能会将这些争端提交国际仲裁,我国有可能被国际仲裁庭裁定为此对外国投资者承担相应的赔偿责任。面对新形势,我国必须重新审视双边投资协定中投资者与东道国投资争端解决方式的相关规定。     

刍论ICSID仲裁庭对“投资”的界定

《解决国家与他国国民间投资争端公约》的缔结历史表明,长期的协商和谈判并未促成缔约国间就投资一词的含义达成统一意见。同时,由于ICSID仲裁庭的组成依个案而不同,对于投资的界定每个仲裁庭的方法也并不完全相同。根据ICSID仲裁庭过去的判例,仲裁庭主要依据两种方法对投资进行界定。ICSID仲裁庭应当在充分地尊重缔约国因接受ICSID仲裁体制所让渡的主权权利的基础上,严格地解释《解决国家与他国国民间投资争端公约》及双边投资保护条约中投资的含义。因此,笔者认为确有必要改进仲裁庭根据《维也纳条约法公约》界定投资的方法。     

论国际投资仲裁中的公共利益保护

国际投资争端往往涉及重大的公共利益,国际投资仲裁度制度的合理设置有助于维持正常的国际经济交往秩序、保障公共利益。但在仲裁实践中,由于国际投资仲裁存在着强调私有财产权的倾向、仲裁程序欠缺透明度、投资者享有争端解决选择权等制度性缺陷,制约着国际投资仲裁对公共利益重要价值追求的实现。应通过缩小仲裁庭的管辖权,规范其审慎解释权,平衡仲裁秘密性与透明性的关系,借鉴"法庭之友"制度建立第三方参与制度,设立国际投资仲裁上诉机制等不同具体制度的改革完善,限制国际投资仲裁庭的自由裁量权,确保国际投资仲裁中的公共利益得以有效维护。     

投资条约保护伞条款的实践及其基本内涵

保护伞条款要求缔约东道国应该遵守其对另一缔约方投资者的投资所承担的任何义务。保护伞条款的权利主体、义务主体、义务性质和义务范围都存在着一些比较复杂的问题和争议。保护伞条款对于东道国施加了更加严格的国际法约束,对此,可以通过非政府组织参与跨国公法过程的方式予以必要平衡。     

实物证据的鉴真问题

中国新颁行的刑事证据规定确立了实物证据的鉴真制度。根据所要鉴别的实物证据的不同，鉴真有两个相对独立的含义：一是证明法庭上出示、宣读的某一实物证据，与举证方“所声称的那份实物证据”是一致的；二是证明法庭上所出示、播放的实物证据的内容，如实记录了实物证据的本来面目，反映了实物证据的真实情况。中国刑事证据规定尽管确立了“保管链条的证明”方法，但强调通过对各种“笔录类证据”的形式审查，来验证实物证据在来源、收集、提取、制作、保管等各个环节上的可靠性。刑事证据规定还针对物证、书证、视听资料和电子证据分别确立了鉴真规则。鉴真制度要得到有效的实施，需要司法改革的决策者在刑事审判方式改革、侦诉关系改革、规范法官自由裁量权、有效实施排除规则等方面做出进一步的努力。