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 Guardian | 1-Feb-2024
Local fishers helped halt underwater mining off Baja California’s coast in 2018. But then an obscure international legal process was put into motion.
Investegate | 31-Jan-2024
AAG have confirmed they have submitted the claim by way of a request for arbitration to the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.
CIAR Global | 30-Jan-2024
InfraRed Infrastructure RAM GP Limited, InfraRed Infrastructure RAM LP e InfraRed Infrastructure RAM, S.L., las dos primeras de nacionalidad británica y la tercera española, han presentado un arbitraje de inversiones contra Colombia en el Centro Internacional de Arreglo de Diferencias relativas a Inversiones (CIADI).
TNI | 30-Jan-2024
En el más reciente informe, “The Raw Materials Rush”, las investigadoras Lucía Bárcena, Luciana Ghiotto y Bettina Müller analizan los marcos regulatorios que la UE promueve para asegurar su acceso a estos minerales, y cómo dichos acuerdos promueven la intensificación del extractivismo e ignoran los altos costos socioambientales de estas actividades.
Zimeye | 27-Jan-2024
A London court has ordered Zimbabwe to pay US$125 million to two timber firms whose land was seized by the government, rejecting its claim of state immunity in a case that tests the enforcement of international arbitration awards.
bilaterals.org | 26-Jan-2024
What type of ISDS arbitration has been the most used by corporations? Why is it important to understand the different forms of ISDS?
APA News | 26-Jan-2024
La justice britannique a demandé au Zimbabwe de se conformer à une décision de 2015 exigeant le paiement de 125 millions de dollars à deux entreprises pour des terres saisies lors de la réforme foncière controversée du pays au début des années 2000.
Business Wire | 26-Jan-2024
Nexo AG et ses filiales ont déposé une demande d’arbitrage devant le CIRDI pour plus de 3 milliards de dollars contre la République de Bulgarie pour des dommages et des pertes d’opportunités.
Truthdig | 23-Jan-2024
In Colombia, lawsuits by foreign corporations are obstructing a fossil fuel phase-out at the expense of the indigenous Wayúu community.
AFTINET | 23-Jan-2024
Pakistan’s previous policy, initiated in 2021, sought to terminate its bilateral investment treaties to avoid further ISDS cases by international investors.