Natural Resources

Government Regulatory Space in the Shadow of BITs: The Case of Tanzania’s Natural Resource Regulatory Reform

Tanzania passed three new laws in July 2017 that significantly change the regulatory landscape governing natural resources. The reforms are aimed at ensuring that foreign investment benefits Tanzanian citizens.From an African perspective, this article argues that it is time to rethink investment treaty regimes to ensure that they do not hinder much-needed reforms.

Can Foreign Investors Be Held Liable for Human Rights Violations? International Human Rights Law and Beyond

Host states have had the challenge to protect their citizens from human rights violations caused by multinationals. This paper explains the bases of states’ obligations under international human rights law and how foreign investors may be held responsible.

ITN  |  March 13, 2017

Awards and Decisions

ICSID tribunal dismisses claims brought against Indonesia based on forged mining licences Churchill Mining PLC and Planet Mining Pty Ltd v. Republic of Indonesia, ICSID Case No. ARB/12/14 and ICSID […]

ICSID tribunal dismisses claims brought against Indonesia based on forged mining licences

Churchill Mining PLC and Planet Mining Pty Ltd v. Republic of Indonesia, ICSID Case No. ARB/12/14 and ICSID Case No. ARB/12/40  After rendering separate decisions on jurisdiction—one for the case brought […]

Renco failed to comply with formal waiver requirement under U.S.–Peru Trade Promotion Agreement

Renco Group Inc. v Republic of Peru, UNCT/13/1 An arbitral tribunal under the Arbitration Rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) declared that U.S.-based investor Renco […]

Pac Rim v. El Salvador: all claims dismissed; OceanaGold to pay US$8 million in costs

Pac Rim Cayman LLC v. Republic of El Salvador, ICSID Case No. ARB/09/12 On October 14, 2016, a tribunal at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) dismissed […]

Special and Differential Treatment in International Investment Agreements

Special and Differential Treatment (S&D), originally forged in the trade regime, has evolved in trade negotiations and gained momentum in investment agreements, to provide greater flexibility for developing countries based on their needs and capabilities.

ITN  |  December 12, 2016

Awards and Decisions

Venezuela to Pay Us$1 Billion For Expropriating Canadian Mining Company’s Investment

ICSID Tribunal dismisses MFN Clause in WTO GATS as a means of importing Senegal’s consent to arbitration from third party BIT

PCA tribunal deemed acts of Polish Agricultural Property Agency not attributable to Poland

Claimant not considered Investor due to interpretation of “Seat” under Cyprus–Montenegro BIT

Ecuador’s Levy on extraordinary oil profits at a 99% rate has breached Murphy’s legitimate expectations, decides PCA tribunal

Ecuador ordered by PCA tribunal to pay $24 million to Canadian Mining Company

ITN  |  January 14, 2013

Awards and Decisions

US$1.76 billion dollar award levied against Ecuador in dispute with Occidental; tribunal split over damages   Occidental Petroleum Corporation and Occidental Exploration and Production Company v. The Republic of Ecuador, […]

ITN  |  January 14, 2013

News in Brief

Canada receives investor complaints over provincial energy and environment policies In recent months the government of Canada has received two complaints related to energy and environmental policies adopted by its […]

ITN  |  July 19, 2012

News in Brief

Vattenfall launches new claim against Germany The Swedish state-run energy firm Vattenfall has launched a second claim against Germany. The claim stems from Germany’s May 2011 decision to phase-out its […]

Going public to improve investment in agriculture

The public began to hunger for information about investment in the agriculture sector when a massive wave of foreign investment in farmland and water was triggered, in 2008, by a […]

Rethinking investor-state contracts through a sustainable development lens

In recent years, economic liberalisation, improved transport and communication systems, and the global demand for energy, minerals and agricultural commodities have fostered investment in agriculture, mining and petroleum projects in […]

ITN  |  October 7, 2011

Awards and Decisions

Mass claim in Argentine bond dispute is granted ICSID jurisdiction Abaclat and Others (Case formerly known as Giovanna A Beccara and Others) and The Argentine Republic, Decision on Jurisdiction and […]

ITN  |  July 12, 2011

Awards and Decisions

Swiss claimant fails jurisdictional stage for not qualifying as an ‘investor’ Alps Finance and Trade AG v. Slovak Republic Damon Vis-Dunbar A claim against the government of Slovakia has failed […]

ITN  |  April 7, 2011

News in Brief

Working group moves slowly on agreement for transparency in UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules A working group of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) met from 7-11 February 2011 […]

ITN  |  April 7, 2011

Awards and decisions

UK firm victorious in dispute with Russia, but damages much less than claimed RosInvestCo UK Ltd.  v. The Russian Federation, SCC Case No. Arb. V079/2005 Lise Johnson In an award […]

ITN  |  December 16, 2010

Awards and decisions

Georgia loses dispute with Greek and Israeli oil investors Ioannis Kardassopoulos and Ron Fuchs v. The Republic of Georgia (ICSID Case Nos. ARB/05/18 and ARB/07/15) Martin D. Brauch Two oil […]

A global thirst: How water is driving the new wave of foreign investment in farmland

It is no longer a secret that there is a new wave of foreign investment in farmland, predominantly in Africa. An explosion of media reports and a series of studies by the World Bank, Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), have confirmed the scale and consequences of this new influx of foreign investment. The World Bank report, by far the most comprehensive, found that reported deals amounted to 45 million hectares in 2009 alone.

ITN  |  September 23, 2010

The IBA’s Model Mining Development Agreement: A new paradigm for natural resource projects

IISD In October 2009, at its annual meeting in Madrid, the Mining Law Committee of the International Bar Association launched a project to develop a Model Mining Development Agreement (MMDA).  […]

ITN  |  March 10, 2010

Canadian mining firm accused of links to murder of protester, threatens arbitration over mine closure in Chiapas

By Fernando Cabrera Diaz March 11, 2010 Calgary-based mining firm Blackfire Exploration has reportedly threatened Mexican officials in Chiapas with NAFTA Chapter 11 arbitration in response to the closure of […]

ITN  |  December 4, 2009

Canadian mining company Gold Reserve commences ICSID arbitration against Venezuela

By Fernando Cabrera Diaz December 6, 2009 Canadian mining company Gold Reserve has commenced arbitration against Venezuela at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) over the alleged […]

ITN  |  December 4, 2009

An End to European mining claims in South Africa?

By Elizabeth Whitsitt December 6, 2009 On November 2, 2009 claimants in the high-profile arbitration involving mining interests owned by Piero Foresti, Laura de Carli and others against the Republic […]

ITN  |  November 1, 2009

Innovative Steps are Introduced Into Non-Disputing Party ICSID Procedure

By Elizabeth Whitsitt November 3, 2009 In a high-profile arbitration involving mining interests owned by Piero Foresti, Laura de Carli and others versus the Republic of South Africa, an ICSID […]

ITN  |  October 1, 2009

Chevron launches investment-treaty claim against Ecuador

By Damon Vis-Dunbar 2 October 2009 Correction: The original headline in this article stated that Chevron Corporation alleges a denial of justice on the part of Ecuador. Chevron explains that […]

ITN  |  August 31, 2009

Tribunal dismisses claim by Europe Cement against Turkey; Claimant ordered to bear cost of the arbitration

By Damon Vis-Dunbar 2 September 2009 An ICSID tribunal has rendered a decision after finding itself in the unusual position of facing requests from both the Claimant and Respondent for […]

ITN  |  July 15, 2009

Greenpeace pressures German government for transparency in Vattenfall dispute

By Damon Vis-Dunbar 15 July 2009 Arbitration proceedings between the Government of Germany and the Swedish energy utility Vattenfall should be conducted transparently, argue a coalition of non-governmental organizations. Greenpeace […]

ITN  |  July 14, 2009

Arbitrators clash on question of interpretation in Hrvatska Electroprivreda d.d. v. The Republic of Slovenia

By Elizabeth Whitsitt 15 July 2009 On 12 June 2009 the majority of a Tribunal convened pursuant to a Request for Arbitration under the ICSID Arbitration Rules issued a partial […]

ITN  |  July 13, 2009

ICSID tribunal accepts Ecuador’s objections to jurisdiction in dispute with electricity firm

By Fernando Cabrera Diaz 15 July 2009 A tribunal at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) has accepted Ecuador’s objections to jurisdiction in an arbitration commenced by […]

ITN  |  July 13, 2009

Venezuela consents to arbitration in new BIT with Russia

By Fernando Cabrera Diaz 15 July 2009 A new bilateral investment treaty between Venezuela and Russia provides consent to international arbitration for settling disputes pursuant to the treaty, despite President […]