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.

Minart | 2-Apr-2025
Empresa de distribución de gas natural demanda al Estado peruano en el Ciadi tras agotar vías administrativas.
CEPR | 2-Apr-2025
Ecuador’s free trade agreement with Canada presents a glaring conflict of interest for President Noboa, whose family, one of Ecuador’s wealthiest, has a sizable financial stake in a Canada-based mining company.
Reuters | 2-Apr-2025
First Quantum Minerals said it had agreed to discontinue two arbitration proceedings related to its Cobre Panama copper mine.
La Presse | 2-Apr-2025
First Quantum Minerals a annoncé avoir accepté de mettre fin à la procédure d’arbitrage en vertu de l’Accord de libre-échange Canada-Panama.
CIAR Global | 1-Apr-2025
Almaden Minerals ha anunciado que ha presentado su memorial en el procedimiento de arbitraje internacional con México en el marco del Acuerdo Integral y Progresivo de Asociación Transpacífico.
Business Human Rights Journal | 1-Apr-2025
The urgent demand for critical minerals has led to the expansion of mining operations, often accompanied by significant human rights and environmental abuses that cause social unrest and spark disputes between states and foreign investors.
La Jornada | 31-Mar-2025
Mientras el mundo enfrenta las pataletas de Trump en torno a aranceles comerciales, es obligado también poner atención al continuo golpeteo a las soberanías nacionales por empresas trasnacionales cobijadas bajo acuerdos internacionales de inversión, ya sean tratados de libre comercio (TLC) o tratados bilaterales de inversión (TBI).
TNI | 28-Mar-2025
The landscape of financial profiteering from investor-state dispute settlement claims.
Xinhua | 28-Mar-2025
The lower house of Kazakhstan’s parliament has approved the law on ratifying the agreement between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan on encouragement and mutual protection of investments.
Azernews | 26-Mar-2025
British oil and gas company Victoria Oil & Gas has filed a lawsuit against Kazakhstan, citing provisions under the Energy Charter Treaty.