International Investment Law: Understanding Concepts and Tracking Innovations

International investment agreements set ground rules for how host governments treat foreign investors. This publication provides an unparalleled source of information on four key issues:

• the definition of investor and investment;
• the interpretation of umbrella clauses in investment agreements;
• coverage of environmental, labour and anti-corruption issues;
• the interaction between investment and services chapters in selected regional trade agreements.

The “Definition of investor and investment” reviews the determinants of the scope of application of international investment treaties in light of recent state practice and jurisprudence. The article on the “Interpretation of the umbrella clause in investment agreements” sheds light on a controversial provision whose meaning has been disputed recently before international arbitral tribunals. “International Investment Agreements: A survey on environmental, labour and anti-corruption issues” reviews the treatment of societal issues in 295 investment agreements and in related arbitration decisions. “The interaction between investment and services chapters in selected regional trade agreements” looks at the implications for investment protection and liberalisation of 20 treaties’ investment and services chapters.