The first authoritative commentary on a major new codification of the equality principle as applied to investor-state dispute settlement.

The equality of the parties is a fundamental element of a fair system of adjudication. As such it is applicable to international investment arbitration. Yet the application of the equality principle in this context has given rise to much recent debate both at the procedural and at the constitutional level, as states and other stakeholders have considered the scope for reform of investment arbitration. This Report, commissioned for the 18th Commission of the Institut de Droit International, analyses the implications of the equality principle in its application both to the establishment and design of an international investment tribunal and to its procedures: the admissibility of claims and counterclaims; and admissibility or exclusion of evidence; the effect of the State's criminal law powers on the tribunal's process; costs and security for costs. The Report will be published in the Annuaire de l'Institut de Droit International and debated at its 79th Session in The Hague, August 2019.

In The Interpretation of International Investment Law: Equality, Discrimination and Minimum Standards of Treatment in Historical Context, author Todd Weiler demonstrates how historical analysis should be adopted in the interpretation of international investment law obligations. Weiler subjects some of the most commonly held beliefs about the nature and development of international investment law to a critical re-appraisal, based upon meticulously assembled historical record. In the process, the book provides readers with a fresh perspective on some of the oldest obligations in international law.

Investor-State arbitration is currently a much-debated topic, both within the legal community and in the public at large. In Towards Consistency in International Investment Jurisprudence, Katharina Diel-Gligor addresses the alleged proliferation of inconsistent decision-making in this field – one of the main points of concern raised in the ongoing discussions. After exploring whether such criticism is appropriate at all, she goes on to examine the different causes, forms, and manifestations of the inconsistencies that exist through a detailed analysis of ICSID arbitration. The author then canvasses possible approaches to reform and concludes that an ICSID preliminary ruling system – the practicalities of which are set out in the study – is a suitable means for enhancing consistency in investment arbitration and moving towards a jurisprudence constante.

This book analyses the impact that stabilization clauses have on the development of human rights and gender laws in resource rich nations. Given the fact that stabilization clauses freeze the law for as long as the contract subsists there has been debate on the negative impact stabilization clauses have on the progressive development of human rights in the host State. Firstly, the book examines the mechanisms investors utilise in protecting themselves from host State prerogatives. It then explores the theoretical basis on which stabilization clauses are applied and upheld by arbitral tribunals, and assesses how they can be drafted in a way that protects human rights, particularly in relation to gender discrimination, without forcing the resource rich nations to lose momentum in attracting foreign direct investment. Using Zambia and the Gender Equity and Equality Act of 2015 as a case study, the book explores the compatibility of the legislation with the stabilization clauses contained in the country’s Development Agreements. The book will be of interest to practitioners, scholars and students of international investment law, human rights law and contract law.

Arbitration Under International Investment Agreements: A Guide to the Key Issues provides a comprehensive analysis of the main issues that arise in investor-state arbitration. The contributing authors take the reader through the intricacies of this procedure before analyzing the main jurisdictional and substantive issues that confront arbitrators. The book concludes with a reflection on the role of precedent in investment arbitration. A diverse group of renowned experts in the field provide comprehensive coverage, making Arbitration Under International Investment Agreements a valuable resource for anyone working in or studying this field of law.

Investment treaties are some of the most controversial but least understood instruments of global economic governance. Public interest in international investment arbitration is growing and some developed and developing countries are beginning to revisit their investment treaty policies. The Political Economy of the Investment Treaty Regime synthesises and advances the growing literature on this subject by integrating legal, economic, and political perspectives. Based on an analysis of the substantive and procedural rights conferred by investment treaties, it asks four basic questions. What are the costs and benefits of investment treaties for investors, states, and other stakeholders? Why did developed and developing countries sign the treaties? Why should private arbitrators be allowed to review public regulations passed by states? And what is the relationship between the investment treaty regime and the broader regime complex that governs international investment? Through a concise, but comprehensive, analysis, this book fills in some of the many "blind spots" of academics from different disciplines, and is the first port of call for lawyers, investors, policy-makers, and stakeholders trying to make sense of these critical instruments governing investor-state relations.