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.

América Latina Mejor sin TLC | 13-Mar-2024
Como parte del respaldo a la salida del CIADI del país centroamericano, la Plataforma América Latina y el Caribe Mejor Sin TLC entregó su declaración de apoyo al Vicecanciller de Política Exterior Hondureño, Gerardo Torres Zelaya.
Telemetro | 13-Mar-2024
Según el MEF, Panamá gana la demanda de arbitraje internacional de inversión por 100 millones de dólares.
IISD | 12-Mar-2024
The proposal of a carveout emerges as a targeted damage control measure to address the recognized and urgent problem that ISDS poses to climate action.
Trade and Investment Research Project | 12-Mar-2024
The Ecuadorian President is using the cover of internal conflict to bring investor-state dispute settlement back to Ecuador, in what a former Constitutional Court member calls a "democratic disaster."
Radio-Canada | 11-Mar-2024
Une compagnie minière canadienne a perdu une procédure d’arbitrage contre la Roumanie, qui avait bloqué son projet d’exploitation d’une mine d’or sur un site désormais inscrit sur la liste du patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO, a annoncé Bucarest.
ABC News | 11-Mar-2024
The Romanian government has won a years long legal dispute with a Canadian mining company seeking damages over failed plans to open a gold and silver mine in the Eastern European country.
SOMO | 8-Mar-2024
Oil Refiner Klesch sues EU, Germany and Denmark over windfall profit tax while making record profits due to Ukraine invasion.
bilaterals.org | 8-Mar-2024
¿Qué tipo de arbitraje ISDS ha sido el más utilizado por las corporaciones? ¿Por qué es importante entender los diferentes modos de ISDS?
Euractiv | 8-Mar-2024
Les Vingt-Sept ont approuvé le retrait coordonné de l’UE du traité international sur la charte de l’Énergie, jugé trop protecteur des investissements dans les énergies fossiles et que de nombreux pays, dont la France, ont déjà annoncé vouloir quitter.
Reuters | 8-Mar-2024
European Union countries agreed to jointly quit an international energy treaty over concerns that it undermines efforts to fight climate change, officials said.