Sustainable Markets Investment Briefings: International arbitration

This is the fifth of a series of briefings which discuss the sustainable development issues raised by legal arrangements for the protection of foreign investment. The briefings are based on legal research by IIED and its partners.2 The goal is to provide accessible but accurate information for human rights, development and environmental organisations working on issues raised by foreign investment in low- and middle-income countries. Briefing 5 explains how international arbitration works to resolve disputes between foreign investors and host states, and outlines some of the problems associated with its use, from a sustainable development perspective.