FORCE MAJEURE ET COVID-19 : UNE ARME À DOUBLE TRANCHANT JURIDIQUEMENT RISQUÉE

This policy brief examines the legal complexities of invoking 'force majeure' in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It warns governments that the principle acts as a 'double-edged sword,' as they may need to defend their own pandemic-related measures using the same legal arguments they might use to oppose claims from private companies seeking to avoid contractual obligations.

• The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting government responses are viewed as a single, inseparable event that creates unprecedented legal challenges for both states and businesses.
• Force majeure is defined as an event beyond an entity's control that makes the execution of obligations impossible, allowing the affected party to stop performance without financial penalties.
• China has declared COVID-19 a case of force majeure for many commercial contracts, likely to protect against claims from foreign companies regarding non-delivery of products or purchase contract failures.
• Governments face a legal risk where they may be forced to accept force majeure claims from businesses while simultaneously using the same principle to justify their own actions in contractual disputes or Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) cases.
• The document recommends that governments avoid official declarations on force majeure and use 'without prejudice' communications to negotiate short-term pragmatic solutions without committing to long-term legal positions.

APA

Mann, H. (2020). FORCE MAJEURE ET COVID-19 : UNE ARME À DOUBLE TRANCHANT JURIDIQUEMENT RISQUÉE. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/force-majeure-covid-19-fr.pdf

Chicago

Mann, Howard. FORCE MAJEURE ET COVID-19 : UNE ARME À DOUBLE TRANCHANT JURIDIQUEMENT RISQUÉE. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/force-majeure-covid-19-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mann |first1=Howard |title=FORCE MAJEURE ET COVID-19 : UNE ARME À DOUBLE TRANCHANT JURIDIQUEMENT RISQUÉE |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=May 2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/force-majeure-covid-19-fr.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mann2020force, author = {Mann, Howard}, title = {{FORCE MAJEURE ET COVID-19 : UNE ARME À DOUBLE TRANCHANT JURIDIQUEMENT RISQUÉE}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/force-majeure-covid-19-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }