The Why and How of Investment Dispute Prevention and Management Agencies – Sharing country experiences

Due to the growing controversies around investor–state dispute settlement (ISDS), increasing attention is being given to alternatives, either as complements or replacements for existing ISDS mechanisms. One such alternative comes in the form of investment dispute prevention and management agencies (DPMAs). These are specialized agencies or functions with the responsibility of coordinating stakeholders involved in potential investment disputes. The aim is to deescalate tensions among stakeholders and to address potential disputes before they arise.

Some countries have put the concept into practice, each with different designs and ways of operating. How do these DPMAs operate and what are their effects in practice? Have they proven to be an effective alternative to address investment-related disputes? Will they introduce new risks? What are some criteria governments may want to consider in designing and establishing effective DPMAs? What roles can international institutions have in this process?

This webinar built on the research findings of a forthcoming IISD publication by Jonathan Bonnitcha and Zoe Phillips Williams, and aimed to start a discussion on these questions so policy-makers can make informed decisions on this topic.

Speakers and discussants included:

• Zoe Phillips Williams, IISD Associate and Managing Editor, Investment Treaty News
• Jonathan Bonnitcha, IISD Associate and Senior Lecturer in Law, University of New South Wales
• Ricardo Oliveira, General-Coordinator, Foreign Investment Undersecretariat, Executive Secretariat of the Foreign Trade and Investments Board, Brazil
• Quynh Vu, Deputy Director General, Department of Legislation, Ministry of Planning and Investment, Viet Nam
• Vanessa Rivas Plata Saldarriaga, President, Special Commission of Disputes, Ministry of Economy and Finance, Peru

Watch the webinar's full recording