New UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules on Transparency: Application, Content and Next Steps

This briefing discusses the adoption of the UNCITRAL Rules on Transparency in July 2013, which aim to increase openness in investor-State arbitration, replacing previous standards that often kept disputes private.

• In July 2013, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) adopted the Rules on Transparency to ensure openness in investor-State arbitration, following nearly three years of negotiations involving 55 Member States, observer States, and observer organizations. These rules officially take effect on April 1, 2014.
• The Rules on Transparency replace previous UNCITRAL standards under which investor-State disputes were frequently kept from public view, even in cases involving illegal business practices, corruption, or important public policies.
• The new rules apply by default to UNCITRAL arbitrations under treaties concluded after April 1, 2014. For treaties concluded before this date, the previous standard applies unless parties expressly opt in. To address this, UNCITRAL planned to begin drafting a convention in the fall of 2013 to create an efficient mechanism for applying the transparency rules to existing treaties.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2013). New UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules on Transparency: Application, Content and Next Steps. https://www.ciel.org/reports/new-uncitral-arbitration-ruleson-transparency-application-content-and-next-steps-ciel-iisd-and-vale-columbia-center-2013-2/

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. New UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules on Transparency: Application, Content and Next Steps. 2013. https://www.ciel.org/reports/new-uncitral-arbitration-ruleson-transparency-application-content-and-next-steps-ciel-iisd-and-vale-columbia-center-2013-2/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=New UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules on Transparency: Application, Content and Next Steps |date=1 November 2013 |url=https://www.ciel.org/reports/new-uncitral-arbitration-ruleson-transparency-application-content-and-next-steps-ciel-iisd-and-vale-columbia-center-2013-2/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2013new, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{New UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules on Transparency: Application, Content and Next Steps}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2013}, month = nov, url = {https://www.ciel.org/reports/new-uncitral-arbitration-ruleson-transparency-application-content-and-next-steps-ciel-iisd-and-vale-columbia-center-2013-2/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }