Les critères d’enregistrement et d’approbation dans les traités d’investissement

The guide examines how states use 'registration' or 'approval' requirements in investment treaties to restrict which investments are eligible for protection and arbitration. It analyzes treaty examples from ASEAN and COMESA, as well as arbitral awards (Yaung Chi Oo, Gruslin, and Desert Line), to demonstrate that while these criteria are legitimate strategic tools for quality control, their effectiveness depends on precise drafting and clear procedural frameworks. The document recommends that states explicitly state these requirements as indispensable conditions and provide transparent, detailed procedures for compliance.

• States use registration and approval criteria as strategic tools to exercise qualitative control over the types of investments they encourage and protect, which in turn limits their exposure to international arbitration.
• The 2009 ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA) links approval requirements to national laws and policies, providing a structured process where member states must communicate competent authority contacts and provide written notifications of approval or refusal within specific timeframes (one month for incomplete applications and four months for complete ones).
• The COMESA Investment Agreement establishes a registration system independent of national law, requiring investments to be specifically registered with a predetermined authority; however, the document notes that as of January 2013, the necessary list of national contact points (Annex B) remained incomplete.
• Arbitral tribunals have upheld the validity of registration requirements to decline jurisdiction, as seen in the Yaung Chi Oo and Gruslin cases, where the lack of specific written approval or the failure to meet the definition of an 'approved project' prevented the investments from being protected.
• The Desert Line Projects LLC v. Yemen case demonstrates that vague references to a 'certificate' without a defined process or issuing authority may be insufficient to block a claim, especially if the state's conduct suggests a waiver of the requirement.
• To ensure registration criteria are effective, states should clearly specify in the treaty that such requirements are indispensable conditions for coverage and ensure that the associated procedures are transparent, clear, and detailed.

APA

Bernasconi-Osterwalder, N., & Malik, M. (2012). Les critères d’enregistrement et d’approbation dans les traités d’investissement. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/best_practices_registration_requirements_fr.pdf

Chicago

Bernasconi-Osterwalder, Nathalie, and Mahnaz Malik. Les critères d’enregistrement et d’approbation dans les traités d’investissement. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2012. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/best_practices_registration_requirements_fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bernasconi-Osterwalder |first1=Nathalie |last2=Malik |first2=Mahnaz |title=Les critères d’enregistrement et d’approbation dans les traités d’investissement |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=December 2012 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/best_practices_registration_requirements_fr.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bernasconiosterwalder2012les, author = {Bernasconi-Osterwalder, Nathalie and Malik, Mahnaz}, title = {{Les critères d’enregistrement et d’approbation dans les traités d’investissement}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2012}, month = dec, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/best_practices_registration_requirements_fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }