Ghana recently played host to a crucial meeting of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Working Group III, focusing on Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) reforms. The three-day gathering, held from March 17 to 19, 2025, at the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat (AfCFTA) in Accra, brought together stakeholders to harmonize Africa’s position on key ISDS issues.
The meeting aimed to foster collaboration among member states, enhance capacity building, and promote knowledge sharing on ISDS reforms and related legal frameworks. Ghana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations offices in Vienna, Ambassador Matilda Aku Alomatu Osei-Agyeman, emphasized Ghana’s commitment to advocating for African involvement in international investment law and dispute resolution.
The UNCITRAL Working Group III has been instrumental in discussing ISDS reforms, addressing challenges such as transparency issues, arbitrator independence, and limited African representation. Over the past decade, African nations have led regional and national legal reforms to strengthen their position in the global investment system.
The meeting also highlighted Ghana’s pursuit of hosting the Advisory Centre on International Investment Law, which would provide African countries with essential institutional mechanisms to enhance legal frameworks for handling ISDS cases.
The Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Ramses Joseph Cleland, reiterated Ghana’s long-standing contributions to advocating for a fair and balanced international investment dispute system. The meeting is expected to strengthen the Africa Group’s coordination and consensus-building efforts in UNCITRAL WGIII, advancing the continent’s shared development objectives.
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
