Investor-State Arbitration: Current Status and Future Direction

Ms Meg Kinnear

Note: Internal event not open to external attendees.

As part of our Public Arbitration Seminar series, the SOAS School of Law is proud to host Ms. Meg Kinnear, Secretary-General of ICSID.

ABOUT THIS EVENT:

The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) is a globally renowned arbitral institution which is a part of the World Bank Group. ICSID was established by the Washington Convention in 1966. Today, 155 countries have signed and ratified the Convention. ICSID is now the leading forum for investor-state dispute settlement. ICSID has administered the majority of legal disputes concerning international investment law.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Meg Kinnear was re-elected as the Secretary-General of ICSID for a third term in 2020. The ICSID Secretary-General is nominated after consultation with Member States and when a two-thirds majority vote is secured among members of the centre’s administrative council.

Since assuming office in 2009, Ms. Kinnear has overseen significant growth in ICSID’s membership and caseload; reinforced its technical assistance program; streamlined internal processes at the ICSID Secretariat; and has led a project to bring about procedural reforms in ICSID arbitration, conciliation, mediation and fact-finding. Under her leadership, ICSID has also launched an initiative with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) to develop a Code of Conduct for Adjudicators in Investor-State Dispute Settlement.

Prior to her leadership at ICSID, Ms. Kinnear served as Director-General of the Trade Law Bureau of Canada during which she was responsible for Canada’s international investment and trade litigation. She has co-authored a work on investment disputes under NAFTA Chapter 11 and speaks frequently on international investment law and procedure.

ABOUT THE MODERATOR:

Emilia Onyema is a Professor of International Commercial Law and Interim Pro-Director Learning and Teaching and teaches international commercial arbitration and international investment law at SOAS University of London. She is qualified to practice law in Nigeria, is a Solicitor in England & Wales, Fellow of Chartered Institute of Arbitrator and independent arbitrator.

She convenes the SOAS Arbitration in Africa conference series and leads the SOAS Arbitration in Africa survey research project (the 2020 survey report on the top African arbitral centres and seats was published on 30 June 2020).

Her research interests focus on the development of international arbitration in Africa and the engagement of Africans in international arbitration. It further interrogates the intersections of the discourses on diversity and ethnicity with particular reference to Africa, in international arbitration.

Email: eo3@soas.ac.uk

Please register your interest and book your space by using Eventbrite .

Organiser: Giulia Delogu

Contact email: eo3@soas.ac.uk