LA CLÁUSULA DE FUERZA MAYOR Y EL COVID-19: RIESGOS LEGALES DE UN ARMA DE DOBLE FILO

This briefing examines the legal implications of invoking 'force majeure' clauses during the COVID-19 pandemic, describing it as a 'double-edged sword' for governments who may face claims from companies while simultaneously needing the clause to justify their own emergency measures.

• Force majeure is defined as an event beyond an entity's control that prevents a company or government from fulfilling obligations as originally written, potentially allowing them to cease compliance without facing financial penalties.
• Governments face a legal paradox where they must manage companies claiming force majeure to avoid obligations to the state, while governments themselves may need to invoke force majeure to defend their own COVID-19 response measures in contractual disputes or investor-state controversies under international investment treaties.
• China has stated that force majeure applies to many commercial contracts signed by its companies, likely to protect them from foreign claims regarding failure to deliver products or acquire contracted inputs.
• The document recommends that governments avoid making broad public statements or short-term arguments against the use of force majeure, as they may later need to rely on the same legal defense to justify their own actions. Instead, they should seek pragmatic, negotiated short-term solutions using 'without prejudice' communication techniques.
• Governments are advised to conduct risk assessments regarding potential breach-of-contract claims or violations of investment treaty obligations, noting that law firms and third-party funders are already seeking cases against states.

APA

Mann, H. (2020). LA CLÁUSULA DE FUERZA MAYOR Y EL COVID-19: RIESGOS LEGALES DE UN ARMA DE DOBLE FILO. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/force-majeure-covid-19-es.pdf

Chicago

Mann, Howard. LA CLÁUSULA DE FUERZA MAYOR Y EL COVID-19: RIESGOS LEGALES DE UN ARMA DE DOBLE FILO. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/force-majeure-covid-19-es.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mann |first1=Howard |title=LA CLÁUSULA DE FUERZA MAYOR Y EL COVID-19: RIESGOS LEGALES DE UN ARMA DE DOBLE FILO |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=May 2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/force-majeure-covid-19-es.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mann2020clusula, author = {Mann, Howard}, title = {{LA CLÁUSULA DE FUERZA MAYOR Y EL COVID-19: RIESGOS LEGALES DE UN ARMA DE DOBLE FILO}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/force-majeure-covid-19-es.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }