ABSTRACT
The Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of other States came into force on October 14, 1966. It established the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). Some argument has been made that provision for ICSID arbitration in investment contracts will increase as the laws of various countries accept ICSID jurisdiction in advance. The ICSID lists 30 bilateral treaties in force providing for its jurisdiction in the case of disputes arising out of investments covered by the treaty or requiring investors to accept ICSID arbitration clauses. Some of the most significant arbitrations involving international investment have been ad hoc, i.e. there has been no arbitral institution appointed with competence to administer and supervise the arbitration proceedings. The major suppliers of foreign direct investment capital and members of Group B in the United Nations political groupings are numbered among the 71. The most notable omissions from Group B are Canada.
