Replanteamiento de las leyes nacionales de inversión

This executive summary by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the evolution and current state of national investment laws. It argues that these laws are versatile policy instruments that have shifted from supporting national development goals in the 1950s-70s to aligning with international investment treaties between 1980 and 2010. The document provides a framework for policymakers to redesign these laws to better serve sustainable development and avoid the legal risks associated with treaty-style protections.

• National investment laws have evolved through three distinct phases: early laws in developing countries (1950s-1970s) focused on national policy goals and colonial legal cohesion; a period from 1980 to 2010 where laws were redesigned to align with international investment treaties and prioritize attracting investment; and a post-2000 trend of increasing concern over the legal risks of treaty-inspired national laws.
• A study of 70 investment laws identified seven primary functions these laws currently perform: regulating the admission and approval of new foreign investments, granting and administering investment incentives, facilitating investment, providing legal protection to investors, establishing investor-state dispute settlement systems, specifying investor obligations, and controlling/supervising foreign investment.
• The prevalence of specific functions varies across the studied laws: at least 80% address investment incentives, approximately 70% provide legal protections and 70% address dispute resolution, while at least 60% regulate the admission of foreign investment.
• Certain legal protections in national laws, specifically stabilization clauses and fair and equitable treatment (FET) provisions, are identified as high-risk because they mirror old-style investment treaties and can create significant legal and financial liabilities.
• The document proposes a framework for policymakers to rethink investment laws, emphasizing that there is no standard model. The process should move from defining the ultimate goal (typically sustainable development) to identifying immediate policy objectives, determining the necessary functions of the law, and finally deciding on the legal structure and content.
• The report warns that certain investment law designs carry specific risks: automatic approval processes can overwhelm limited bureaucratic capacity; tax incentives may deplete public funds for investments that would have occurred anyway; and international arbitration consent can undermine national judiciaries.

APA

Bonnitcha, J., Nikiéma, S. H., & John, T. S. (2023). Replanteamiento de las leyes nacionales de inversión. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-07/rethinking-national-investment-laws-summary-es.pdf

Chicago

Bonnitcha, Jonathan, Suzy H. Nikiéma, and Taylor St John. Replanteamiento de las leyes nacionales de inversión. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-07/rethinking-national-investment-laws-summary-es.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bonnitcha |first1=Jonathan |last2=Nikiéma |first2=Suzy H. |last3=John |first3=Taylor St |title=Replanteamiento de las leyes nacionales de inversión |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=July 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-07/rethinking-national-investment-laws-summary-es.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bonnitcha2023replanteamiento, author = {Bonnitcha, Jonathan and Nikiéma, Suzy H. and John, Taylor St}, title = {{Replanteamiento de las leyes nacionales de inversión}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = jul, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-07/rethinking-national-investment-laws-summary-es.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }