On 31 March 2016, the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) and CRCICA organized their second joint investment arbitration conference entitled: “International Investment Arbitration Involving Arab Parties: Issues and Challenges”.
The Conference focal theme provokes various interesting topics and the agenda tactfully tackled all recent texts and trends; issues and concerns, perspectives and expectations in international investment arbitration with special reference to arbitrations involving Arab parties. This includes most recent legal investment texts (laws, bilateral and multilateral investment treaties), in the Arab World and around the globe, that affect investment Arbitration or are likely to have role in its coming future. The example of the current Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership (TTIP), was examined to explore how would it provide a model for future negotiations on the investment policies between EU and the Arab World.
The last working session, a momentous practice-based session, questions the current international practices and mechanisms of the investor-state dispute settlement by Arbitration in an attempt to define shortcomings and propose possible remedies for the betterment of the ISDS. Within this context, and for the first time ever, special attention was given to the particular problems and concerns of the Arab Investor as claimants in investment arbitration as well as the role of the Arab Arbitrator in this concern.
Many distinguished speakers addressed the conference topic from local, regional and international perspectives. The Egyptian and Arab speakers discussed regional investment laws, treaties and dispute settlement mechanisms, while the SCC speakers focused on international trends in investor-state arbitration.
The conference engaged a large audience drawn from both the business and legal communities from Egypt, Libya, Jordan, Syria, Qatar, Sudan, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mauritania, France, Sweden, Switzerland and USA.
It sparked lively debate about investment policy in the Arab world and investment arbitration involving Arab parties – a debate that will no doubt continue at future CRCICA events.
The SCC’s news brief on the Conference can be accessed through this link
