The Istanbul Arbitration Centre (‘ISTAC’) was established in 2015 in Istanbul, Turkey. The ever-developing Turkish economy and increasing numbers of Turkey-related disputes, both in International Commercial Arbitration and Investment Arbitration, have highlighted the importance and the role that this institution may assume in coming years. It is well within reason that the ISTAC may attract […]
Human Rights and Investment Arbitration: Parallel Proceedings
Human rights and investment arbitration are not opposed, and in fact there is a considerable degree of overlap. The European Court of Human Rights (‘ECtHR’) has been used as an alternative forum or supplement to Investment arbitration in multiple disputes. Even though the ECtHR and Investor-State Arbitral tribunals belong to prima facie different regimes, and […]
New Montenegro UNCITRAL Arbitration
A new Montegro UNCITRAL arbitration has begun. The small Balkan state has had a strong track record since joining ICSID in 2012. We have already reported on two recent ICSID cases against Montenegro, both decided in favour of the state. However, it seems like this is not the end of the road. Russian oligarch Oleg […]
Transparency in Investor-State Arbitration: The Mauritius Convention
For many years, critics have complained that there was not enough transparency in investor-State arbitration. Last week, Canada made headlines by becoming only the second State to ratify the 2015 United Nations Convention on Transparency in Treaty Based Investor-State Arbitration (the Mauritius Convention). The Convention confirms and extends the applicability of the 2014 UNCITRAL Rules […]
The PCA Secretary General’s Role as Arbitrator Appointing Authority
The Secretary General of one of the oldest arbitral institutions in the word, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (the “PCA”), has a very important role under the UNCITRAL Rules as an arbitrator appointing authority. Under both the 1976 and the 2010 UNCITRAL Rules (as revised in 2013), the Secretary General acts as the appointing authority […]