A Study on the Legal Status of Investors at the Intersection of International Investment Law and Domestic Laws

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K13330
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 05030:International law-related
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Nisugi Kento 大阪大学, 大学院国際公共政策研究科, 准教授 (30824015)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 国際投資法 / 投資条約 / 投資仲裁 / 外国直接投資 / グローバル法 / EU法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Investment treaty arbitration is a process by which foreign investors and host countries resolve investment disputes through international arbitration under the terms of investment treaties. This procedure involves the interplay of the international law governing investment treaties with the domestic laws of the host country, the investor's home country, and the arbitration venue, resulting in a complex legal status for foreign investors. This study focuses on the intersection of international and domestic law at the procedural level of arbitration. We compare arbitrations under the ICSID Convention, which are primarily governed by international law, with non-ICSID Convention arbitrations, which rely on both international and domestic laws. We analyze the characteristics of investors' legal status in each arbitration type.

Free Research Field

国際法

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

投資条約仲裁の法的性質に関しては、これを国際法上の制度と捉える見解、国際商事仲裁の亜種と捉える見解、国内行政訴訟の国際版と捉える見解など、様々な見方があり、その違いが投資条約や仲裁規則の解釈適用方法に実践的な影響を与えている。また、投資条約仲裁への批判が欧州等で強まる中で、（EU法を含む）国内法を介した仲裁手続への干渉も増えている。本研究の分析は、こうした不安定な状況における投資家の法的地位の同定を目指したことで、現行法の解釈および今後の制度像の構想に対して一定の貢献を果たした。