investor-state disputes | ISDS

Investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) refers to a way of handling conflicts under international investment agreements whereby companies from one party are allowed to sue the government of another party. This means they can file a complaint and seek compensation for damages. Many BITs and investment chapters of FTAs allow for this if the investor’s expectation of a profit has been negatively affected by some action that the host government took, such as changing a policy. The dispute is normally handled not in a public court but through a private abritration panel. The usual venues where these proceedings take place are the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (World Bank), the International Chamber of Commerce, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law or the International Court of Justice.

ISDS is a hot topic right now because it is being challenged very strongly by concerned citizens in the context of the EU-US TTIP negotiations, the TransPacific Partnership talks and the CETA deal between Canada and the EU.

The Express Tribune | 13-Dec-2023
Pakistan concluded a settlement agreement with Ozpak, a Turkish company, in longstanding arbitration proceedings pending in the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.
Yahoo Finance | 11-Dec-2023
Sarama Resources Ltd, advises that it has formally notified the government of Burkina Faso, of the existence of an investment dispute between the Company and Burkina Faso in relation to the government’s withdrawal of the company’s rights to the Tankoro 2 Exploration Permit.
Tameteo.com | 11-Dec-2023
Quand les Etats s’efforcent de prendre des mesures audacieuses pour réduire les émissions, leurs efforts sont compromis par une menace insidieuse : le Règlement des Différends entre Investisseurs et Etats (RDIE).
Collectif Stop CETA Mercosur | 8-Dec-2023
Sous la pression citoyenne, la France avait officiellement notifié sa volonté de retrait du Traité sur la charte de l’énergie en décembre 2022.
Legal Cheek | 8-Dec-2023
Without a mandatory and uniform standard on the human rights obligations of investors in investment law, any change in international investment arbitration may be incremental.
bilaterals.org & GRAIN | 4-Dec-2023
¿Qué significa para las personas africanas comunes este acuerdo comercial en un momento de profundas crisis climática, económica y alimentaria?
Dawn | 4-Dec-2023
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have reached a consensus on the investment modalities, paving the path for the ratification of a much-awaited free trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council.
CCSI | 1-Dec-2023
Terminating investment treaties and withdrawing advance consent to ISDS would allow governments to clear the path from problematic treaties centered on investment protection and ISDS, which in practice benefit unsustainable investment.
Project Syndicate | 1-Dec-2023
The ongoing lawsuit brought against Honduras by an American company underscores the unjust and undemocratic nature of the investor-state dispute settlement system.
Business Recorder | 30-Nov-2023
These directions were issued after threadbare discussion with Saudi Arabia and Qatar which are insisting on the option of international arbitration in a template of Bilateral Investment Treaty.