Investor-state disputes arising from investment treaties: a review: UNCTAD Series on International Investment Policies for Development Book

The settlement of disputes between investors and the States in which they operate is a key aspect of the system of investment protection established in international investment agreements. Thus, the majority of international investment agreements contain provisions on investor-State dispute settlement. These provisions have been increasingly used in recent years, and this has resulted in more arbitral awards. It is the aim of this paper to take stock of, and to analyse, the nature and implications of this trend. In particular, it will consider not only the statistical aspects of this development, but also the effects of arbitral decisions on the evolution of dispute settlement procedures under international investment agreements and on the interpretation and further refinement of the substantive standards of protection that they contain.Read More