IS THERE ANY CONTRAST BETWEEN FAIR AND EQUITABLE TREATMENT AND PUBLIC INTERESTS UNDER INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT AGREEMENTS AND INVESTOR-STATE ARBITRATIONS?

Abstract

Today, more than 3,200 international investment agreements (IIAs) have been concluded, and most of them address substantive and procedural protection mechanisms. One of the essential substantive standards is the standard of fair and equitable treatment and one of the procedural mechanisms is Investor-state Arbitration. Usually, when an investor investing in the host state, there can be no denying that there may be a conflict between the public interest and the investor protection mechanisms. The mechanism of fair and equitable treatment is one of the essential standards that may be harmed by the public interests, especially the protection of the environment. On the one hand, in accordance with this standard, the host states are obliged to create stable, fair, favorable and transparent conditions for investors. On the other hand, the states have a duty to the public interests of their countries and at a larger level the international community. Purpose: In this paper, we want to show whether there is a discrepancy between the substantive standard of fair and equitable treatment and public interest in the text of the IIAs or in the arbitration procedure? Methods: general scientific methods of theoretical knowledge, as well as general logical methods and research techniques are used in analyzing existing investment agreements and Arbitration awards. Results: Examining the text of many of the IIAs, we came to the conclusion that there is no difference in the text of the agreements, in other words, the agreement encourages governments to strike a balance between investor protection standards and the protection of the public interest. However, in the implementation of agreements by the states, there is a difference between the two areas of protection of public interest and the standard of fair and equitable treatment, and here the arbitral tribunals must resolve the differences.