ISDS机制中强制调解的制度构建与中国因应

Institutional Construction of Mandatory Mediation in ISDSand Chinas Responses

由于投资者—国家争端解决机制(Investor—State Dispute Settlement,ISDS)面临合法性危机,国际社会开始通过强化调解等替代性争端解决方式(Alternative Dispute Resolution,ADR)对其进行改革。近年来,各方更是试图通过在国际投资协定(International Investment Agreements,IIAs)中规定强制调解以充分发挥调解的价值。根据现有IIAs的规定,ISDS机制中强制调解仍面临对调解的模式规定不统一、与仲裁的衔接程序混乱、调解员规则不完善以及调解协议缺乏执行力等挑战。因此,应当从明确强制调解的模式、厘清仲裁与强制调解的关系、制定详细的调解员规则、建立强制调解协议的执行程序等方面对强制调解进行制度构建,从而真正发挥调解在投资争端解决中的作用。强制调解有助于维护长期关系,给予争端方高度灵活性和自主权,符合我国在国际投资争端解决中的利益需求。我国应当在IIAs谈判中研究制定强制调解规则范本,并积极参与关于强制调解的多边讨论。与此同时,注重投资调解机构建设和调解员的人才培养,也能为未来我国在ISDS机制中运用调解提供充分保障。

Due to the legitimacy crisis of the Investor-State Dispute Settlement(ISDS),the international community has begun to reform it by strengthening Alternative Dispute Resolution(ADR),such as mediation.In recent years,States and international organizations have tried to fully exploit the value of mediation by providing for mandatory mediation in International Investment Agreements(IIAs).According to regulations in existing IIAs,mandatory mediation in ISDS still faces challenges such as inconsistent provisions on the mode of mediation,confusion over the interface between mediation and arbitration,inadequate rules for mediators and lack of enforcement of mediation agreements.Therefore,mandatory mediation should be institutionally constructed from the aspects of clarifying the model of mandatory mediation,clarifying the relationship between arbitration and mandatory mediation,formulating detailed rules for mediators and establishing enforcement procedures for agreements,so as to truly play the role of mediation in investment dispute settlement.Mandatory mediation helps maintain long-term relationships and gives disputants a high degree of flexibility and autonomy,which is in line with China's interests.China should study and formulate model rules for mandatory mediation in the IIAs negotiations and actively participate in multilateral discussions on mandatory mediation.At the same time,focusing on the construction of mediation institutions and the training of mediators can also provide sufficient guarantees for China's use of mediation in the ISDS mechanism in the future.