Implication of Chinese FDI in the Enjoyment of Right to Economic Development in Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

Foreign investment is of great importance in the development of a country. Their participation in the economic, social, cultural and political development of a nation is undeniable. It is with this in mind that developing countries have opened their economies to foreign investment. Côte d’Ivoire, a country located in West Africa and a pillar of this zone, did not remain on the sidelines of this action. Initially, France was the economic partner of Côte d’Ivoire, then the United States and Morocco. Since a certain period, the country maintains economic relations with a new partner which is China. Chinese investments in Côte d’Ivoire are becoming more numerous, because the state offers adequate protection measures and a very favorable investment climate. Given the development objectives of the host countries, the foreign investments made in them should be in line with the realization of the right to development. A right by definition implies the right to economic, social, political and cultural development. These are provisions that are increasingly included in BIT. The purpose of this paper is to present the legal framework of the right to economic development in Côte d’Ivoire, then to determine the implication of Chinese investments in the realization of the right to economic development in Côte d’Ivoire. We used a mixed research method that is quantitative and qualitative, because we used the existing literature on the theme we approached, information collected at the embassy of China in Côte d’Ivoire, and also testimonials from some workers. We have arrived at the result to which, the legal framework of the right to economic development in Côte d’Ivoire is to improve on the one hand and the other hand, the Chinese investments in Côte d’Ivoire, even if they suffer from certain irregularities, contribute to the realization of the right to economic development of the country.