The filing of a Request for Arbitration before the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Dispute (the “Centre” or the “ICSID”) is a crucial and relatively straightforward step. In 2019, the ICSID Secretary-General received 39 requests for arbitration.[1] Almost all arbitration rules, including the ICSID Arbitral Rules,[2] provide that a party wishing to […]
Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Courts: Moving from Litigation to Arbitration?
The global difficulties caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19), various State measures imposing restrictions on the movement of people, social distancing and complete lockdowns, while necessary to protect health, are inevitably having an impact on litigation in national courts, globally. In certain countries courts have had to limit, or to even entirely close, their operations due […]
Bifurcation in Investment Arbitration
In investment arbitration, it is rather common for arbitral tribunals to deal with preliminary issues prior to any consideration of the merits of a case. In such scenarios, the main question is whether to asses these issues together with other matters to be ruled upon in the final award or to deal with them in […]
How to Initiate International Arbitration
Initiating international arbitration is a rather simple process, which can be done by lawyers or even non-lawyers: In ad hoc arbitrations, normally, it requires only the service of a “Notice of Arbitration” to the respondent. In administered arbitrations, usually, it requires submission of a “Notice of Arbitration” or a “Request for Arbitration” before the competent […]
Third-Party Funding under ICSID Amendments: Balance Between States’ and Investors’ Interests
Over the past decade, the use of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (“ISDS”) mechanisms to challenge public policies has been a topic of attention and pressure from Non-Governmental Organizations and States to reform ISDS has increased.[1] This has led to proposals for amendment of the ICSID Rules. Working Paper #3, containing the latest proposals, may be found […]