Le risque de requêtes de RDIE fondées sur les lois nationales sur l’investissement : Une autre « épée de Damoclès » suspendue au-dessus des mesures gouvernementales liées à la COVID-19 ?

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the risk of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) claims based on national investment laws, particularly in the context of government emergency measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights how domestic laws can provide a legal basis for international arbitration, potentially bypassing national courts and exposing states to significant financial liabilities.

• National investment laws can serve as a legal basis for ISDS claims if they contain provisions that establish a state's consent to international arbitration. According to UNCTAD data, there are 125 national investment codes, 49 of which contain international arbitration provisions, and 40 of which explicitly establish state consent to such arbitration.
• ISDS claims based on national laws are concerning because they have a broader scope than treaty-based claims, as they can apply to all foreign investors regardless of their country of origin. This increases a country's exposure to claims and may create a dichotomy where foreign investors receive different legal interpretations of national law than domestic investors.
• The risk to governments is increased when national investment laws incorporate controversial substantive standards from older investment treaties, such as 'fair and equitable treatment' (FET) and 'indirect expropriation'. These standards can be used to challenge public health or economic regulations and often lead to higher compensation amounts than those determined by national courts.
• Many developing countries included international arbitration in their national laws due to 'best practice' advice from international organizations like the World Bank. A study indicated that countries receiving such reform advice were 650% more likely to adopt an international arbitration law.
• While there were no COVID-19 related ISDS claims based specifically on national investment laws as of the report's date, the authors warn that investors may seek to recover losses through these channels. They suggest that governments review and potentially suspend ISDS provisions in their national laws to maintain policy space during the pandemic.
• Some developing nations are now removing consent to international arbitration from their most recent investment codes. Examples include Togo, Egypt, El Salvador, and Côte d'Ivoire.

APA

Nikièma, H. S., & Maina, N. (2020). Le risque de requêtes de RDIE fondées sur les lois nationales sur l’investissement : Une autre « épée de Damoclès » suspendue au-dessus des mesures gouvernementales liées à la COVID-19 ? International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-10/isds-claims-investment-laws-fr.pdf

Chicago

Nikièma, H. Suzy, and Nyaguthii Maina. Le risque de requêtes de RDIE fondées sur les lois nationales sur l’investissement : Une autre « épée de Damoclès » suspendue au-dessus des mesures gouvernementales liées à la COVID-19 ? International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-10/isds-claims-investment-laws-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Nikièma |first1=H. Suzy |last2=Maina |first2=Nyaguthii |title=Le risque de requêtes de RDIE fondées sur les lois nationales sur l’investissement : Une autre « épée de Damoclès » suspendue au-dessus des mesures gouvernementales liées à la COVID-19 ? |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=September 2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-10/isds-claims-investment-laws-fr.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{nikima2020risque, author = {Nikièma, H. Suzy and Maina, Nyaguthii}, title = {{Le risque de requêtes de RDIE fondées sur les lois nationales sur l’investissement : Une autre « épée de Damoclès » suspendue au-dessus des mesures gouvernementales liées à la COVID-19 ?}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-10/isds-claims-investment-laws-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }