Fact Sheet on Investor–State Dispute Settlement Cases in 2018

By UNCTAD, published by UNCTAD, May 2019

This IIA Issues Note provides an overview of known treaty-based ISDS cases initiated in the past year and overall ISDS case outcomes. It indicates that, as the surge in ISDS cases continues, the total ISDS case count may reach 1,000 by the end of 2019. At least 71 treaty-based ISDS cases were initiated in 2018, all but one under old-generation treaties signed before 2012. As of January 1, 2019, the total number of known ISDS cases pursuant to IIAs had reached 942. To date, 117 countries are known to have been respondents to one or more ISDS claims. The new ISDS cases in 2018 were initiated against 41 countries. As in previous years, the majority of new cases were brought against developing countries and transition economies. Developed-country investors brought most of the 71 known cases. Available at https://investmentpolicy.unctad.org/publications/1202/fact-sheet-on-investor-state-dispute-settlement-cases-in-2018