Monthly archive October, 2015

Lights and shadows in the relationship between international law and sustainable investments: The challenges of ‘natural resources grabbing’ and their effects on State sovereignty

1. The nexus between investments in natural resources and sustainable development It is reasonable to enquire as to whether international law has evolved to require that today, investments in natural resources be carried out in compliance with a sustainable approach. A positive answer can be given in response to this question, based on the following...

Sustainable Investment in Land in the Global South: What Would It Require from a Coherence Perspective? The case of Sierra Leone

1. Introduction Large scale acquisitions of land in the Global South have significantly increased since the millennium.[1] It is often the case that foreign investors are involved in such acquisitions, which are commonly  aimed at facilitating the export of commodities.[2] These investments in land tend to transform conventional, rather small scale agricultural systems into large...

Sustainable investment in natural resources: how is international law doing?

Introduced by Angelica Bonfanti Trade liberalization and foreign investments in developing countries are important drivers for economic development. However, the willingness of recipient States to attract direct foreign investments may find itself at odds with the protection of fundamental human rights and the environment. A number of developing and underdeveloped countries rich in natural resources...