Joe Zhang joined IISD’s Geneva office in 2014. As a Law Advisor for IISD’s Economic Law and Policy Program, his work focuses on international investment law and policy.
Since joining IISD, Joe has been advising developing country governments on international investment law issues, investment treaty negotiations, investment contract negotiations, and the development of sound domestic investment laws and policies from a sustainable development perspective. Joe also closely follows the discussions on business and human rights.
Among his recent projects are reforming the investment-related international dispute settlement regime as well as incorporating corporate accountability mechanisms in international treaties.
Before joining IISD, Joe worked as an attorney for leading international firms in the areas of commercial arbitration, capital markets and foreign direct investment. He is a member of the Oklahoma State Bar Association and the Washington State Bar Association and is qualified to practice law in China.
All Publications
- Reply to Public Consultation on Canada's International Investment Agreements (FIPAs)
Commentary - November 5, 2018
The Canadian government launched a public consultation on Canada’s foreign investment promotion and protection agreements (FIPAs) on August 14, 2018. This commentary outlines IISD's reply. - Cleaning up Toxic Soils in China: A trillion-dollar question
Blog - September 10, 2018
In its latest effort to address environmental problems, China has adopted its first soil pollution law. However, how to finance the remediation of the damage already done remains a big question. - Investment Facilitation: Making sense of concepts, discussions and processes
Briefing Note - July 10, 2018
This background note provides an overview of discussions on investment at the global level in order to better understand and place the current discussions on investment facilitation. - Integrating Investor Obligations and Corporate Accountability Provisions in Trade and Investment Agreements
Report - April 30, 2018
This report synthesizes the main points that emerged from the discussions in the expert meeting co-organized by IISD and Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) in Versoix, Switzerland, January 11–12, 2018. - Investment Treaty News Quarterly (ITN), Volume 8, Issue 4, December 2017
Newsletter - December 21, 2017
Investment Treaty News (ITN) is IISD’s flagship quarterly journal on international investment law and policy. - China’s Largest Arbitration Institution Adopts its First Investment Arbitration Rules
Blog - September 28, 2017
China’s new rules for investment arbitration are not yet publicly available in English. We present an advanced draft of the rules, and explain why they matter. - Investment-Related Dispute Settlement: Lessons from international accountability mechanisms
Report - July 9, 2017
Working toward elements of a new mechanism for investment-related disputes, the expert meeting held in Washington, D.C., United States, on April 11, 2017 focused on ways forward on a compliance structure to hold companies accountable. - Investment Treaty News Quarterly (ITN), Volume 8, Issue 2, June 2017
Newsletter - June 15, 2017
Investment Treaty News is IISD’s flagship quarterly journal on international investment law and policy. - Why We Need a "Comprehensive and Inclusive" Investment-Related Dispute Settlement Mechanism
Blog - June 14, 2017
If investment-related dispute settlement mechanisms at the international level were to be built anew, what should they look like? - Investment-Related Dispute Settlement: Towards an inclusive multilateral approach
Report - October 18, 2016
This document outlines results from an IISD expert meeting discussing investment-related dispute settlement which was held in Montreux, Switzerland, May 23–24, 2016. - Investment Treaty News Quarterly, Volume 6, Issue 4, November 2015
Paper - November 27, 2015
Does the Green Economy Need Investor–State Dispute Settlement? Read more in our quarterly periodical on investment law and policy. - Investment Treaty News Quarterly, Volume 6, Issue 3, August 2015
Paper - July 30, 2015
This issue explores the new Brazilian Agreement on Cooperation and Facilitation of Investments (ACFI); the legal regimes governing farmland investments and water rights in Africa; and new ideas to empower U.S. and European workers in TTIP. - Investment Treaty News Quarterly, Volume 6, Issue 2, May 2015
Newsletter - May 21, 2015
In this issue:The Merits and Limitations of General Exception Clauses in Contemporary Investment Treaty Practice; Rethinking Investment-Related... - Investment Treaty News Quarterly, Volume 5, Issue 4, November 2014
Newsletter - November 18, 2014
In this issue:In Accordance with Which Host State Laws? Restoring the ‘Defence’ of Investor Illegality in Investment Arbitration; Who is Afraid of...