Establishing an International Advisory Centre on Investment Disputes?

In the light of growing globalization and the significant increase in the number of investor-state disputes that has taken place over recent years, this paper proposes that it is time to establish an International Advisory Centre for Investment Disputes (I-CID) to serve all states — industrial, developing, and least-developed — by providing advice, capacity building, prevention, best-practices, and information sharing on issues related to defence in investor-state disputes. Toward that end, it assesses the primary current challenges for respondent states defending investor-state dispute cases; examines the lessons to be taken from the successful implementation of the Advisory Centre on WTO Law and other initiatives, addresses specific questions and proposals related to an I-CID, and offers general conclusions for the future.