Attribution in International Law and Arbitration

Abstract

Abstract This book aims to clarify, critically discuss, and propose solutions for the application of international rules of attribution of conduct to States under public international law and international investment law. In a nutshell, the issue is that of the applicability of the principles of ‘attribution’ to States of acts that are in breach of their obligations under international custom or international treaties, with a focus on their commitments pertaining to the treatment of foreign investors under international investment agreements (IIAs), mostly bilateral investment treaties (BITs), and their application by arbitral tribunals. Of special interest and the object of extensive debate within this context is the responsibility of States when the alleged breach has been committed not by the State itself through its organs, but by entities which have separate legal personality under domestic law, which, nevertheless, may engage the responsibility of the State under international law, such as State-owned enterprises (SOEs). The book addresses the relevant issues in a systematic way, approaching them first in general terms on the basis of the Draft Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts (ARSIWA) on attribution, finalized by the International Law Commission (ILC) in 2001, and proceeding thereafter to the specifics of international investment law, based on an accurate examination of the law, practice, and case law, with full knowledge and consideration of the academic debate. To this extent, the book submits that the general principles on attribution are fully applicable within international investment law, which is not a closed system governed by different principles, and that tribunals have to apply them as they generally do.