In Permutations of Responsibility in International Law the concept of responsibility in international law is tackled from a multitude of angles. The various contributions, which emerged from the proceedings of the ILA Hellenic Branch Regional Conference (2012), examine both classical and modern issues relating to the nature of responsibility, both as responsibility for unlawful acts and liability for lawful acts, the multifariousness of actors whose actions (or omissions) may give rise to responsibility, and finally the plethora of responsibility-related issues that have emerged in different areas of international law, be it international law of the sea, trade and investment or human rights law.

Changing Actors in International Law explores actors other than the ‘state’ in international law focusing on under-researched actors (quasi-states, trans-government networks, Indigenous Peoples, self-determination claimant groups) as well the less well studied aspects of otherwise well-researched actors (individuals, corporations, NGOs, armed organised groups).

This edited volume provides an in-depth study of customary international law and its interpretation in international investment law.

This book reviews the practice of shared responsibility in multiple issue areas of international law, to assess its application and development.

Environmental Interests in Investment Arbitration Challenges and Directions Flavia Marisi Economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental protection stand at the core of sustainable development, which aims to deliver long-term growth for current and future generations. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) can play a key role in sustainable development. Host states’ benefits descending from FDI inflows include tax revenues, technology transfer, specialised training of local human resources, network with satellite activities, better availability of quality products and customer-centric services. These downstream effects jointly stimulate economic growth and social inclusion. This thoroughly researched book explores the relationship between environmental protection – the third component of sustainable development – and FDI. In practice, the intersection between environmental protection and foreign investment not only has generated remarkable success stories such as cross-sectoral green investment but has also in some instances led to severe cases of environmental degradation. Certain foreign investments resulted in open-pit mines leaking harmful substances into the soil, excessive deforestation, improper treatment of water, pollution of groundwater and contamination of mud pits following oil exploitation, leaving the host state with significant environmental damage. Some other cases have witnessed the host state withdrawing or infringing its own environmental policies, which could, in principle, lead to a decrease in the value of the foreign investment as a result of natural resources deterioration. In recent years, an increasing number of investment arbitration cases have seen a clash between the states’ commitments towards their citizens, which include the duty to protect the environment, their health and well-being, and the commitment towards foreign investors to protect their investments. In this book, the author focuses on investor-state cases in which environmental protection measures have been contested and discusses substantive mechanisms in treaty drafting, rules of Customary International Law, and interpretation doctrines, which are aimed at taking environmental concerns into consideration. The topics covered include the following: statistical analysis of investor-state cases where environmental protection measures have been contested; the role of environmental principles in investor-state arbitration; treaty mechanisms addressing environmental concerns; legal tools available under Customary International Law to address environmental interests; the application of the doctrines of proportionality, police powers, and margin of appreciation; and environmental counterclaims as an instrument to claim compensation for environmental damage. The author provides a detailed framework on the normative architecture, offers an extensive analysis of the relevant case law, and proposes concrete solutions to the identified clashes, aimed at refining the balance between environmental and investment protection. With its in-depth analysis and careful documentation, this book aptly captures the inherent fragmentation of international law and undoubtedly represents an invaluable resource for both international law practitioners and scholars. The solution-oriented approach adopted in the book will be welcomed by legal counsel, law firms, investment treaty negotiators, and decision makers at the different stages of investment lawmaking and practice, as well as by international institutions and academics.

This book provides a conceptual and legal analysis of the core of investment protection guarantees that emerge from international treaties signed since 1959 for the promotion and protection of foreign investment. It focuses on both the origin and evolution of investment treaty standards. Beginning with origins, the work considers the broader context at the time when the first modern investment treaty was concluded. It goes on to examine the many decisions of ad hoc arbitral tribunals that have since been called upon to apply these treaties in order to resolve the several hundred investor-State disputes. It also looks at some of the recent investment treaties that have attempted to clarify and/or reform the content and scope of investment protection guarantees. Federico Ortino posits that the key investment protection provisions in investment treaties, and thus much of the controversy associated with such treaties, revolve around three concepts: legal stability, investment's value, and reasonableness. He argues that, from the very beginning, the protections afforded to foreign investments by modern investment treaties have been exceptionally broad, and as such restrictive of host States' ability to regulate. And whilst a growing number of investment treaty tribunals, as well as new investment treaties, have to some extent reined in such broad protections, the evolution of key investment protection standards has been marred by inconsistency and uncertainty.

The Law of Armed Conflict traditionally regulates the actions of States and armed groups, as well as individuals who participate in hostilities. It is increasingly evident that there are significant legal issues regarding the application of this law to the activities of International Military Missions, especially with regard to United Nations forces and other international organisations because it is unclear how their activities are regulated by traditional sources of International Law. The book explores the legal developments in addressing this challenge, including pertinent issues of human rights and international criminal law, elucidating the rights and obligations of all the actors, including States, international organisations and individuals, involved in International Military Missions.

Publisher Description

Das internationale Investitionsschutzrecht steht seit Jahren in der Kritik: Genießen Investoren internationale Rechte ohne korrespondierende Verantwortlichkeit? Dieses Buch stellt diese Sicht infrage. Vielmehr lassen sich der Vertrags- und Schiedspraxis bereits heute Investorenpflichten entnehmen, die das Buch normtheoretisch als direkte und indirekte Pflichten erschließt. Diese verpflichten Investoren etwa auf Menschenrechte und Umweltschutz. Sie sind potentiell geeignet, das Rechtsgebiet verstärkt auf das Ziel nachhaltiger Entwicklung auszurichten und Investorenverhalten international zu regulieren. Das Buch stellt diese Entwicklung in den allgemeineren Kontext der seit 1945 stattfindenden Individualisierung des Völkerrechts.

In Permutations of Responsibility in International Law the contributors offer an account of the variety of manifestations of responsibility in international law tackled from the angle of its nature, the actors involved and the different regimes in which it may emerge.