投资争端解决机制现代化改革的重要里程碑--评2022年ICSID新规则

An Important Milestone in the Modernization of Investment Dispute Settlement Mechanism:Comments on the New ICSID Rules of 2022

投资者与国家间争端解决(ISDS)机制在国际投资治理中发挥着重要作用,但这一机制近年来面临越来越多的批评和改革压力。为构建更加透明、高效、节约成本且环境友好的程序,国际投资争端解决中心(ICSID)于2016年启动规则现代化改革,新规则于2022年7月1日生效。本次改革具有重要的里程碑意义:有助于缓解ISDS机制的合法性危机,保持ICSID在投资争端解决领域的领先地位;有助于发展和凝聚国际共识,进而推动ISDS机制改革的深化;在提高透明度、扩大《附加便利规则》管辖范围等方面的制度创新将对国家和其他利益相关者的实践产生显著影响。本次改革主要限于程序性事项,在解决ISDS机制系统性不足方面的作用相对有限。

The Investor-State Dispute Settlement(ISDS)mechanism plays an important role in international investment governance,but in recent years,it has faced increasing criticism and been pressured to carry out reform.To build a more transparent,cost-saving,time-efficient and environment-friendly procedure,the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes(ICSID)began to modernize its rules in 2016,and the new rules came into effect on July 1,2022.This reform,as a milestone move,bears important significance.It will help alleviate the legitimacy crisis of the ISDS mechanism and maintain the leading position of ICSID in the field of investment dispute settlement.It will also help expand and concentrate international consensus,and further the reform of the ISDS mechanism.Institutional innovations on improving transparency and expansion of jurisdiction of the Additional Facility Rules will have a significant bearing on the practice of relevant states and other stakeholders.However,this rule reform is mainly limited to procedural matters and plays only a limited role in solving the systematic deficiencies of the ISDS mechanism.