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 […]

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 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 […]

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 […]