In investment arbitration, an umbrella clause can constitute an advantage for investors, protecting investments by placing obligations entered into by a host State of investment under the protective “umbrella” of an international treaty. By linking the violation of local law to the violation of a Bilateral Investment Treaty (“BIT”), contract claims may in particular be […]
Investment Arbitration
Expropriation in Investment Arbitration
Expropriation in investment arbitration concerns two notions: (1) each State’s right to exercise sovereignty over its territory and (2) each State’s obligation to respect properties belonging to foreigners. The first means that a State may, in special circumstances, expropriate a foreign investor’s property. The second means that the expropriation of foreign-held properties will only be […]
Fair and Equitable Treatment in Investment Arbitration
Fair and equitable treatment is a prominent standard of protection in investment arbitration disputes, which is present in most bilateral investment treaties (“BITs”).[1] The standard has evolved in post-World War II treaties. The 1948 Havana Charter for an International Trade Organization is said to be the first treaty to include “just and equitable treatment” for […]
Moral Damages in Investment Arbitration
Under public international law, the right to claim moral damages is enshrined in Article 31(2) of the Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts pursuant to which the obligation of a State to make full reparation for the injury by the internationally wrongful act includes “any damage, whether material or moral”. The commentary […]
Denial of Justice in International Arbitration
Denial of justice in international arbitration concerns acts or omissions of a State’s judiciary for which a State may be internationally liable. Although the judiciary is a functionally independent body from a State’s executive and government, it is still a State’s organ. As a result, States may be held internationally liable for the acts and […]
Vienna International Arbitral Center (VIAC)
The Vienna International Arbitral Center (the “VIAC”) has continued to develop and reaffirm its position as a leading arbitration institution in Europe, and namely in the region of Central and Eastern Europe, with more than 1,600 proceedings administered since its establishment in 1975 under the auspices of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber.[1] Today, the VIAC […]
Mining Arbitrations
Mining-related arbitrations have significantly increased over recent decades. Metals and minerals play an important role in foreign direct investments and the need for complex contracts have attracted considerable attention of arbitration practitioners and users. The mining sector is complex. It frequently involves multiple parties and different jurisdictions. Additionally, social development in emerging economies and environmental […]
Human Rights Law and Investment Arbitration
Human rights law is relevant in the realm of investment arbitration. This does not come as a surprise: both investors and host States may turn to public international law provisions, including human rights treaties, to reinforce their respective positions or to put forward autonomous claims. While little attention was initially given to human rights law […]
Effective Means Provision in Investment Arbitration
In addition to typical standards of investment protection such as fair and equitable treatment, national treatment or most-favored nation treatment, investment treaties sometimes contain an effective means of asserting claims and enforcing rights provision, commonly known as an “effective means provision“. This provision figures mainly in investment treaties concluded by the USA, such as the […]
