Llevar las perspectivas de la comunidad al arbitraje entre inversionistas y Estados: el caso Pac Rim

The report examines how the Mesa Nacional Frente a la Minería Metálica de El Salvador (MNFM), supported by CIEL and FESPAD, used amicus curiae submissions in the Pac Rim investor-state arbitration to highlight environmental and human rights concerns. It details the legal requirements for such interventions, the strategic importance of technical legal expertise combined with community grounding, and the outcomes of the jurisdictional phase of the arbitration. The document concludes with lessons for other civil society organizations on navigating the technical nature of international investment law to protect public interest and democratic decision-making.

• The Mesa Nacional Frente a la Minería Metálica de El Salvador (MNFM) used amicus curiae briefs to introduce perspectives on sustainable development and democratic debate into the Pac Rim arbitration, which differed from the arguments presented by the primary parties.
• To successfully submit an amicus curiae brief in investor-state arbitration, such as under ICSID or CAFTA-DR rules, a civil society organization must generally demonstrate that the dispute involves public interest (e.g., human rights or environment), that the organization is fit to represent those interests, and that the intervention is desirable for the tribunal.
• In the jurisdictional phase of the Pac Rim case, the arbitration tribunal accepted the MNFM's written submissions, which argued that Pac Rim's relocation to Nevada was an 'abuse of process' to gain CAFTA-DR protections. This contributed to the tribunal's 2012 decision to rule that it lacked jurisdiction over claims under CAFTA-DR, although claims under El Salvador's Investment Law could proceed.
• The effectiveness of the MNFM's intervention relied on a hybrid strategy: combining the local and national community grounding of the MNFM with the technical international legal expertise of CIEL and the domestic legal expertise of FESPAD.
• The report highlights a systemic imbalance in international law, where protections for foreign investors are significantly stronger than the safeguards provided for the fundamental rights of local communities.

APA

Orellana, M. A., Baños, S., & Berger, T. (2015). Llevar las perspectivas de la comunidad al arbitraje entre inversionistas y Estados: el caso Pac Rim. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Community_Amici_ICSID_IIED_Jul2015_SPA.pdf

Chicago

Orellana, Marcos A., Saúl Baños, and Thierry Berger. Llevar las perspectivas de la comunidad al arbitraje entre inversionistas y Estados: el caso Pac Rim. Center for International Environmental Law, 2015. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Community_Amici_ICSID_IIED_Jul2015_SPA.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Orellana |first1=Marcos A. |last2=Baños |first2=Saúl |last3=Berger |first3=Thierry |title=Llevar las perspectivas de la comunidad al arbitraje entre inversionistas y Estados: el caso Pac Rim |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=June 2015 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Community_Amici_ICSID_IIED_Jul2015_SPA.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{orellana2015llevar, author = {Orellana, Marcos A. and Baños, Saúl and Berger, Thierry}, title = {{Llevar las perspectivas de la comunidad al arbitraje entre inversionistas y Estados: el caso Pac Rim}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2015}, month = jun, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Community_Amici_ICSID_IIED_Jul2015_SPA.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }