Modèle d’accord international sur l’investissement pour le développement durable (IIDD)

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) presents a model international investment agreement that shifts the focus from purely protecting foreign capital to integrating sustainable development, human rights, and environmental protections. The guide proposes a comprehensive framework of rights and obligations for investors, host states, and home states, including mandatory environmental and social impact assessments, anti-corruption measures, and a reformed dispute resolution mechanism featuring an appellate body and increased transparency.

• The model agreement aims to replace the traditional bilateral investment treaty (BIT) model, which the IISD argues is outdated and focused exclusively on the "protection du capital étranger et des investissements".
• To prevent 'treaty shopping' or the use of 'shell companies', the agreement requires investors to have a "présence physique importante" in the host state and to select a home state based on the location of "contrôle réel de l’investissement".
• The agreement establishes that non-discriminatory regulatory measures taken in good faith to protect public welfare objectives, such as public health, safety, and the environment, do not constitute indirect expropriation.
• The model incorporates the 'precautionary principle' from the 1992 Rio Declaration into the impact assessment and decision-making process for proposed investments.
• Strict anti-corruption obligations are imposed on investors, host states, and home states, prohibiting the offering or acceptance of undue advantages to public agents or their family members.
• To address the asymmetry of international law, the model allows investors to be subject to civil liability lawsuits in their home state for significant harm, bodily injury, or loss of life caused in the host state.
• Host states are prohibited from lowering labor, public health, safety, or environmental standards to attract or retain foreign investment, aiming to prevent a 'race to the bottom'.
• The proposed dispute resolution system replaces the ad hoc arbitrator model with a permanent list of 35 members and introduces a standing appellate body to ensure uniform interpretation of the law.
• The agreement mandates transparency in dispute proceedings, requiring that all documents, including notices of intent and final awards, be made public via the Internet and that oral hearings be open to the public.
• Investors must exhaust all local remedies in the host state before initiating international arbitration, unless they can prove a lack of independence or timeliness in the national processes.
• The model includes a financial mechanism and a Technical Assistance Committee to support developing and least-developed countries in improving their investment climates and implementing the agreement.

APA

Mann, H., von Moltke, K., Peterson, L. E., & Cosbey, A. (2006). Modèle d’accord international sur l’investissement pour le développement durable (IIDD). International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/investment_model_int_handbook_fr.pdf

Chicago

Mann, Howard, Konrad von Moltke, Luke Eric Peterson, and Aaron Cosbey. Modèle d’accord international sur l’investissement pour le développement durable (IIDD). International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2006. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/investment_model_int_handbook_fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mann |first1=Howard |last2=von Moltke |first2=Konrad |last3=Peterson |first3=Luke Eric |last4=Cosbey |first4=Aaron |title=Modèle d’accord international sur l’investissement pour le développement durable (IIDD) |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2006 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/investment_model_int_handbook_fr.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mann2006modle, author = {Mann, Howard and von Moltke, Konrad and Peterson, Luke Eric and Cosbey, Aaron}, title = {{Modèle d’accord international sur l’investissement pour le développement durable (IIDD)}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2006}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/investment_model_int_handbook_fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }