• Odious debt is a term applied to the debt of a predecessor government that the successor government wishes to relinquish on ostensibly moral grounds.

  • Odious debt is not an established principle of international law, but is often cited by the victors in a civil or international conflict as a rationale for repudiating the debts of their defeated opponents.
  • Successful implementation of the odious debt concept poses a significant risk to sovereign debt investors and could increase borrowing costs for countries at risk of regime change.