Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 03/2015

The Mauritius Convention on Transparency: Comments on the treaty and its role in increasing transparency of investor-State arbitration

Lise Johnson

September 2014

Columbia Center on Sustainable Investment

Abstract

In July 2014, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) adopted the Mauritius Convention on Transparency that, if widely adopted, will do much to increase the transparency of investor-state arbitrations conducted under thousands of existing investment treaties and under any set of arbitration rules. This Policy Paper introduces the background and objectives of the Transparency Convention, provides commentary on each of its specific articles, and explains how the Transparency Convention can accomplish broad reform.