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.

IISD | 17-Jan-2019
Corporate social responsibility provisions do not change the corporate or ethical duties of companies into enforceable legal obligations in the context of dispute settlement proceedings but they could help significantly moralize the use of treaty-based arbitration.
Business Recorder | 17-Jan-2019
The federal cabinet is expected to approve supplementary grant of $ 1.37 million on to contest cases filed by M/s Karkey in courts of different countries as Pakistan’s assets abroad are facing "attachment" threat.
Jeune Afrique | 16-Jan-2019
En mai, le Cirdi a débouté Veolia mais le groupe français assure vouloir poursuivre son action au Caire afin que sa filiale puisse être dûment indemnisée.
European Papers | 15-Jan-2019
If the European Court of Justice applied in Opinion 1/17 the same test it used in Achmea, it would probably conclude that the CETA tribunal is not compatible with EU law.
IISD | 15-Jan-2019
El Grupo de Trabajo III de la CNUDMI se reunió en Viena desde el 29 de octubre hasta el 2 de noviembre de 2018, y decidió que es conveniente realizar una reforma multilateral para abordar varias inquietudes en torno a la ISDS.
IISD | 15-Jan-2019
UNCITRAL Working Group III met in Vienna from October 29 to November 2, 2018 and decided that multilateral reform is desirable to address various concerns regarding ISDS.
IISD | 15-Jan-2019
Le Groupe de travail III de la CNUDCI s’est réuni à Vienne du 29 octobre au 2 novembre 2018, et a décidé qu’une réforme multilatérale était souhaitable en vue de répondre à diverses préoccupations portant sur le RDIE.
Daily Star | 15-Jan-2019
The very operational narratives of ICSID arbitrators inculcate an inherent bias towards foreign investors, who are overwhelmingly from European and North America.
No al TTIP | 15-Jan-2019
Declaración del Equipo de Incidencia por la Justicia Económica en la Sentencia Postjudicial sobre el Derecho Internacional de los Tratados
Medias24 | 15-Jan-2019
La société allemande, qui dénonce des mesures "discriminatoires et arbitraires" imposées par le gouvernement marocain dans le secteur de la sidérurgie, réclame 60 millions d’euros au Maroc.