Workplan Submission

A joint submission by the Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment (CCSI), the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) to UNCITRAL Working Group III (WGIII) regarding the draft work and resourcing plan for Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) reform.

• The submitters argue that the proposed work plan may hinder the participation of developing States due to capacity constraints and a shift in working modes, potentially conflicting with the UNCITRAL mandate for an inclusive process and SDG target 16.7 regarding representative decision-making.
• To improve inclusivity, the submitters recommend that all intersessional work, including drafting groups and meetings, be conducted on an 'opt-out' rather than 'opt-in' basis to ensure broader access for delegations.
• The submitters highlight a need for translation services for meetings and documents to enable non-English speaking delegations to participate effectively in the increased volume of intersessional work.
• The submission calls for greater transparency in the WGIII process, specifically requesting that intersessional work be shared online with delegations and the public, and that the names and roles of experts used for research or drafting be published.
• The submitters state that critical 'cross-cutting' issues—including regulatory chill, calculation of damages, exhaustion of local remedies, third-party participation, and alternatives to arbitration—have been largely absent from the Plan, session agendas, and Secretariat working papers, and should be explicitly incorporated.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2021). Workplan Submission. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-08/iisd-iied-ccsi-uncitral-march-2021.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Workplan Submission. 2021. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-08/iisd-iied-ccsi-uncitral-march-2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Workplan Submission |date=1 March 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-08/iisd-iied-ccsi-uncitral-march-2021.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2021workplan, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Workplan Submission}}, publisher = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-08/iisd-iied-ccsi-uncitral-march-2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }