Expression of Interest For Capacity Building And Strengthening Of RwandaS Investment Treaty Negotiation Function

Expression of Interest for Capacity Building and Strengthening of Rwandas Investment Treaty Negotiation Function. Location: Kigali Deadline: Sunday, 02/08/2026 23:59 Introduction: The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federally owned international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. The GIZ Office in Kigali covers GIZs portfolio in Rwanda and Burundi. GIZ Rwanda/Burundi implements projects on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Union and other commissioning authorities in the following priority areas: Sustainable Economic Development; Good Governance; Climate, Energy and Sustainable Urban Development; Digitalization and Digital Economy; and regional projects in the Great Lakes Region. 1. Context The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federally owned international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. GIZ has worked in Rwanda for over 30 years, supporting the countrys development priorities through interventions aimed at poverty reduction and sustainable development. Cooperation between the Government of Rwanda and the Federal Republic of Germany focuses on sectors including decentralization and good governance, economic development and employment promotion, energy, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). Through GIZ, Germany currently provides technical support to the African Union Commission (AUC), particularly the Department of Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals (ETTIM), and the AfCFTA Secretariat through the project African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The project aims to strengthen the framework conditions for intra-African trade through support for the implementation of AfCFTA commitments and reforms at continental, regional, and national levels. Beyond support for outstanding Phase I negotiations on Trade in Goods and Trade in Services, the project also supports implementation and negotiations under Phase II and III areas, including Investment, Competition Policy, Intellectual Property Rights, and Digital Trade. The project further promotes the participation of private sector actors and civil society in continental integration processes. To achieve these objectives, the project applies a multi-level implementation approach by supporting continental institutions such as the African Union Commission and AfCFTA Secretariat, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and national institutions within selected focus countries, including Rwanda. Within this context, strengthening Rwandas capacity to negotiate, review, and implement international investment agreements has emerged as a strategic priority. Rwanda has negotiated approximately fifteen Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), many of which are old-generation agreements characterized by broad investor protections and limited policy safeguards for the State. To address these challenges, the Government of Rwanda developed a Model BIT, a National BIT Strategy, and policy recommendations aimed at strengthening treaty governance and aligning investment commitments with national development priorities. Furthermore, Rwanda established a cross-governmental BIT Committee mandated to negotiate new investment agreements, review existing treaties, and coordinate national positions in international investment discussions. However, increasing complexity in global investment governance, including ongoing reforms under UNCITRAL Working Group III on Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS), negotiations under the AfCFTA Investment Protocol, and emerging investment-related disciplines, requires enhanced technical, legal, and negotiation capacities. Against this background, this assignment seeks to strengthen Rwandas investment treaty negotiation function through targeted capacity building, expert accompaniment, structured preparatory engagements, and participation in international investment policy processes. Objective The overall objective of this assignment is to strengthen Rwandas institutional and technical capacity to effectively negotiate, review, and implement international investment agreements in line with national development priorities and emerging continental and global investment governance frameworks. Expected Results Strengthened institutional capacity for investment governance under AfCFTA implementation. Improved technical readiness of Rwandas BIT Committee to engage in regional and international negotiations. Increased participation and influence of Rwanda in continental and international investment reform discussions. Enhanced alignment between negotiated bilateral investment agreements/treaties and Rwandas national development objectives. Improved coordination of investment treaty governance across institutions. Aligned future negotiations with the ongoing reforms and best practices for International Investment Treaties (IIAs) 2. Tasks to be performed by the contractor The contractor is responsible for providing the following services: The contractor shall provide technical, organizational, and logistical support for implementation of activities aimed at strengthening Rwandas investment treaty negotiation capacity. Task 1: Organize Expert-Guided Preparatory Meetings and Negotiation Support The contractor shall organize and facilitate 2-3 preparatory meetings for four (4) working days each. Activities shall include: Legal analysis of treaty provisions; Alignment with Rwandas Model BIT, AfCFTA Protocol on investment and ongoing reforms in international Investment treaties and best practices Development of safeguards and redlines; Assess the relevance of the model provisions and ensure consistency Identification of legal and policy risks. Draft and discuss the negotiation positions; Expected outputs: Improved negotiation readiness; Refined negotiation positions; Reduced legal and strategic risks. Task 2: Deliver Structured Capacity Building Program The contractor shall design and deliver three (3) technical training sessions of five (5) days each. Indicative training topics include: International Investment Agreements overview; Treaty drafting , negotiations and interpretation; Negotiation simulations and role plays; Rwandas Model BIT analysis and other related laws; Investor-State Dispute Settlement mechanisms & ongoing reforms; WTO Agreement on Investment Facilitation for Development vs AfCFTA investment Protocol; Trade-investment linkages; Investor-State Dispute settlement + ongoing reforms ; Emerging investment issues including digital economy, ESG, and climate provisions; Additional topics identified through training needs assessments. Expected outputs: Improved technical capacity of negotiators; Enhanced treaty drafting and skills; Better understanding of legal risks and safeguards. 3. Concept In the tender, the tenderer is required to show how the objectives defined in Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed) are to be achieved, if applicable under consideration of further method-related requirements (technical-methodological concept). In addition, the tenderer must describe the project management system for service provision. Note: The numbers in parentheses correspond to the lines of the technical assessment grid. Technical-methodological concept Strategy (1.1): The tenderer is required to consider the tasks to be performed with reference to the objectives of the services put out to tender (see Chapter 1 Context) (1.1.1). Following this, the tenderer presents and justifies the explicit strategy with which it intends to provide the services for which it is responsible (see Chapter 2 Tasks to be performed) (1.1.2). The tenderer is required to present the actors relevant for the services for which it is responsible and describe the cooperation (1.2) with them. The tenderer is required to present and explain its approach to steering the measures with the project partners (1.3.1) and its contribution to the results-based monitoring system (1.3.2). The tenderer is required to describe the key processes for the services for which it is responsible and create an operational plan or schedule (1.4.1) that describes how the services according to Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed by the contractor) are to be provided. In particular, the tenderer is required to describe the necessary work steps and, if applicable, take account of the milestones and contributions of other actors (partner contributions) in accordance with Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed) (1.4.2). The tenderer is required to describe its contribution to knowledge management for the partner (1.5.1) and GIZ and to promote scaling-up effects (1.5.2) under learning and innovation. Project management of the contractor (1.6) The tenderer is required to explain its approach for coordination with the GIZ project. In particular, the project management requirements specified in Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed by the contractor) must be explained in detail. The tenderer is required to draw up a personnel assignment plan with explanatory notes that lists all the experts proposed in the tender; the plan includes information on assignment dates (duration and expert days) and locations of the individual members of the team complete with the allocation of work steps as set out in the schedule. The tenderer is required to describe its backstopping concept. The following services are part of the standard backstopping package, which (like ancillary personnel costs) must be factored into the fee schedules of the staff listed in the tender in accordance with Section 3.1 of the GIZ AVB: Service-delivery control Managing adaptations to changing conditions Ensuring the flow of information between the tendere Tender Link : https://www.jobinrwanda.com/job/expression-interest-eoi-capacity-building-and-strengthening-rwandas-investment-treaty