Where are the BITs? How US Bilateral Investment Treaties with Africa can promote development
This paper focuses on the role that bilateral investment treaties (BITs) can play in promoting development in sub-Saharan Africa. BITs defend and promote investment abroad by providing core protections to foreign investors, reducing investors' exposure to political riskand uncertain business environments. But despite their potential benefits, BITs have been almost completely missing from US engagement in sub-Saharan Africa over the last twenty years.