Forum on Investor-State Mediation
Date: 8-9 December 2020
Time: 8 December (13.00-17.10) | 9 December (13.00-17.15) GMT
Venue: Online
Programme: Download
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Event Details
On 8-9 December 2020, the Investment Treaty Forum of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law in cooperation with the ISDS Mediation Working Group are organising the Forum on Investor-State Mediation.
This event will follow the successful 2019 Colloquium on Investor-State Mediation, held by the Negotiation Task Force at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University on 4 December 2019. The Colloquium Report has now been published and summarises the outcome developed by the attendees.
The event will bring together participants from the investor-state mediation community, including mediation practitioners, academics, ADR Institutions, law firms and State and NGO representatives. It will discuss the options open to stakeholders to meaningfully expand on the use of mediation in Investor-State disputes, obstacles to using mediation in this context and options to assist in developing the use of mediation to resolve investor-state disputes.
The application of mediation in this context will be explored as a means to encourage foreign direct investment (FDI) and to ease international trade tensions, thereby facilitating international trade and sustainable development coming out of the COVID-19 Crisis.
Programme
Tuesday, 8 December 2020
13:00 - 13:20 Opening remarks
- Prof Yarik Kryvoi, British Institute of International and Comparative Law, London
- Dr Arvid Bell, Negotiation Task Force, Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies, Harvard University
13:20 - 13:50 Review key outputs of 2020 ISDS Mediation Working Group Report
Wolf von Kumberg, International Dispute Registry (IDR), London
13:50 - 14:20 Keynote
Meg Kinnear, International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), Washington, D.C.
14:20- 14:30 Break
14:30 - 15:50 Panel 1. An update on current developments in investor-State mediation
Moderator: Wolf von Kumberg, International Dispute Registry (IDR), London
- Mark Appel, ArbDB Chambers, London
- Frauke Nitschke, ICSID, Washington D.C.
- Alejandro Carballo Leyda, Energy Charter Secretariat (ECS), Brussels
- James South, Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR), London
15:50 - 17:10 Panel 2. The State's perspective on sustainable development and how non contentious mechanism like mediation can lead to enhanced FDI
Moderator: Charlie Ries, RAND Corporation
- Ken Hyatt, Albright Stonebridge Group, Washington D.C.
- Prof Anne van Aaken, University of Hamburg, Hamburg
- Marat Aitenov, AIFC Authority Board Member, Astana
- Prof Catherine Kessedjian, University Pantheon-Assas Paris II, Paris
17:10 - 17:15 Closing Remarks Day 1
James South, CEDR, London
Wednesday, 9 December 2020
13:00 -13:10 Opening remarks
Prof Yarik Kryvoi, British Institute of International and Comparative Law, London
13:10 - 13:40 Keynote: Mediating an Investor State Dispute
Mercedes Tarrazon, Dispute Management, Barcelona
13:40 - 15:00 Panel 3. Between Policy and Practical issues from a practitioner's and State perspective.
Moderator: Prof Dr. Malik Dahlan, Queen Mary University, London
- Dr. Xuehua Wang, Huanzhong & Partners, China
- Barry Leon, 33 Bedford Row, London
- Aygun Aliyeva, Ministry of Energy of Azerbaijan, Baku
- Alexander Uff, Shearman & Sterling
15:00- 15:10 Break
15:10 - 16:30 Panel 4. Future of ISDS Mediation: Climate Change, COVID-19 and the potential surge of Investor State Disputes
Moderator: Roland Schroeder, GE Corporate, Fairfield
- Brooke Guven, Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, New York
- Amandine Van den Berghe, ClientEarth, London
- Prof Robert McCorquodale, University of Nottingham and Brick Chambers, London
- Shaun Donnelly, United States Council for International Business, Washington, DC
16:30 - 17:00 Group Discussion on Next Steps
Moderators:
- Rt Hon Sir David Edward, Blackstone Chambers
- Prof Dr. Malik Dahlan, Queen Mary University, London
17:00 - 17:10 Closing Remarks
Download Programme Speaker Biographies
Event convened by Prof Yarik Kryvoi, Senior Research Fellow in International Economic Law & Director of the Investment Treaty Forum, BIICL and Wolf von Kumberg, Registrar General & CEO International Dispute Registry (IDR).
