IISD Speech: President and CEO Scott Vaughan at PAGE Ministerial Conference, Berlin

Scott Vaughan, President and CEO of IISD, critiques the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) model and the CETA agreement, advocating for a multilateral investment court and a shift toward investment models that align with the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He suggests that the WTO may not be the ideal venue for a new multilateral investment agreement due to its focus on disciplines rather than cooperation.

• The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the EU provides some improvements over previous investor-state arbitration models, such as consolidating nine bilateral investment treaties, increasing transparency, and establishing a roster of independent judges. However, it fails to meet the thresholds for a truly inclusive multilateral investment court that would provide access to justice for communities and individuals and incorporate international legal obligations like the Paris climate action.
• There is a need to move beyond the 'flawed model' of investment protection and litigation, exemplified by NAFTA Chapter Eleven, toward a framework that promotes transborder investment and supports the realization of the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Brazil is cited as a leader in developing an alternative model focused on tools to promote and facilitate investment rather than litigation.
• The World Trade Organization (WTO) is viewed as an unlikely venue for a new multilateral investment agreement because it focuses on disciplines and economic liberalization, whereas the transition to decarbonized economies and the achievement of SDGs require a position of cooperation rather than arbitration.

APA

Vaughan, S. (2017). IISD Speech: President and CEO Scott Vaughan at PAGE Ministerial Conference, Berlin. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/iisd-speech-president-and-ceo-scott-vaughan-page-ministerial-conference

Chicago

Vaughan, Scott. IISD Speech: President and CEO Scott Vaughan at PAGE Ministerial Conference, Berlin. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2017. https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/iisd-speech-president-and-ceo-scott-vaughan-page-ministerial-conference.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Vaughan |first1=Scott |title=IISD Speech: President and CEO Scott Vaughan at PAGE Ministerial Conference, Berlin |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=27 March 2017 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/iisd-speech-president-and-ceo-scott-vaughan-page-ministerial-conference |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{vaughan2017iisd, author = {Vaughan, Scott}, title = {{IISD Speech: President and CEO Scott Vaughan at PAGE Ministerial Conference, Berlin}}, publisher = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2017}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/iisd-speech-president-and-ceo-scott-vaughan-page-ministerial-conference}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }