International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)

Trade

News

Ecuador ratifies 2008 ban on investor-state dispute settlement mechanism

Ecuador referendum reinforces the country’s decision against a mechanism criticised for being asymmetric, unjust and detrimental to citizens’ rights.

3 July 2024

Infrastructure

News

New deal allows for ICSID claims on fossil fuel investments until 2033

Loophole in renegotiated Energy Charter Treaty could see companies sue countries for losses related to fossil fuel projects until 2033.

4 October 2022

Land

News

Honduras threatens ICSID withdrawal over $11 billion ‘neo-colonial’ special economic zone claim

Compensation claim before WorldBank’s ICSID raises questions about the value of special economic zones and fairness of ISDS mechanisms for Global South states.

19 July 2023

Environment

News

Eni files ICSID arbitration request linked to controversial Nigeria oil deal

Case continues troubling trend of increased ISDS claims from fossil fuel industry.

10 December 2020

Trade

Background

What is the World Bank’s International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)?

New Inside the Institutions looks at the World Bank’s International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), the main forum for Investor-to-State Dispute Settlements.

18 July 2022 | Inside the institutions

Social services

News

Global Day of Action against the IMF and World Bank rejects corporate recovery agenda

Civil society day of action rejects corporate agenda and greenwashing in World Bank and IMF Covid-19 recovery.

9 December 2021

Environment

News

Dutch government sued at World Bank tribunal for fossil fuel phase out plan

ICSID suit against Dutch government’s fossil phase out highlights threat to climate action posed by investor-to-state dispute settlement mechanisms

13 July 2021

Knowledge

Background

The World Bank: What it is and how it operates

This Inside the Institutions provides an overview of how the Bank’s systems are designed to operate.

16 July 2020 | Inside the institutions

Rights

Analysis

Fears of lawsuits at World Bank’s tribunal constrain efforts to fight pandemic

Covid-19 pandemic highlights the urgent need for ICSID and wider ISDS reforms as cases threaten to undermine state efforts to protect public health.

16 July 2020

IFI governance

Analysis

Spring Meetings 2020 wrap-up: Will this change everything? Apparently not…

Analysis of this year's World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings: With international response to Covid-19 mired in geopolitical manoeuverings and resistance to systemic change, calls for alternatives grow.

21 April 2020

Private Sector

News

World Bank arbitration mechanism ICSID rules in favour of El Salvador

ICSID, a World Bank arm for investor-state dispute arbitration, ruled that the $250 million case brought by Pac Rim Cayman against El Salvador in 2009 was without merit.

31 January 2017

Trade

Analysis

Corporate bias at the World Bank Group

This briefing finds significant bias in favour of corporations and commercial interests in the main venue for settlement of legal cases brought by corporations against governments: the World Bank’s International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).

28 September 2015 | At Issue