Stakeholder Session on UNCITRAL ISDS Reform Process (New York)

The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) is currently engaged in a process to consider reform of investor-state arbitration (also known as investor-state dispute settlement or ISDS). ISDS is also one of the controversial issues being addressed in the NAFTA negotiations, and driving the EU-led initiative to create a multilateral court for investment claims. Alongside the UNCITRAL negotiations, (April 23-27, 2018 in New York), the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment, International Institute for Sustainable Development, and the International Institute for Environment and Development organized a session for interested members of the public (e.g., civil society, academia, practitioners) to present their views on the issues discussed at UNCITRAL, namely:  the problems with ISDS, options for reform, and suggested directions for UNCITRAL.

Program:

6:00 – 6:40 pm – Registration and light refreshments

6:40 – 6:45 pm – Welcoming remarks from the co-organizers

6:45 – 7:00 pm – Opening remarks from Anna Joubin-Bret, Director of the International Trade Law Division at UNCITRAL

7:00 – 8.30pm – “Lightning” comments from stakeholders and Q&A (order of presentations listed below)

8:30 – 8:40pm – Final Q&A

8:40 – 9:00 pm – Reception

Order of comments from stakeholders:

Leo Gargne – Boston College Law School

Layla Hughes – Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL)

Colin Brown – European Commission

Laurens Ankersmit – Client Earth

Fabian Flues – Friends of the Earth

David Gaukrodger – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Ranja Sengupta – Third World Network

Kavaljit Singh – Madhyam

Abdul Kadir – Consulate General of Indonesia

Bart-Jaap Verbeek – SOMO

Diyana Yahaya – Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law & Development (APWLD)

Frank Garcia – Boston College Law School

Antonio Salvador – Trade Justice Pilipinas

Melinda St. Louis – Public Citizen

Shaun Donnelly – US Council for International Business