Sustainable Development Agendas in African Investment Treaties: Reconciling Principle with Practice

Sustainable development has become the catchword for a sustainable standard of living, evidenced in the elaboration and elucidation of the principles by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). African countries are deeply implicated in the sustainable development agendas as they strive to turn the tide in favour of a better way of living. Sustainable development is deeply intertwined with the natural resources sector because of its inextricable link with development imperatives. Despite a commitment to implement the sustainable development agendas in their various national laws, BITs, and regional and multilateral treaties, evidence indicates a divergence between principles and practice in Africa. Most African countries observe the principles in breach, illustrated by wide scale poverty, low human development, and environmental devastation of ecosystem and marine habitat. Arguably, African countries have an obligation to reflect the principles of sustainable development to which they committed themselves to ensure sound environmental governance and social equity.