International commercial arbitrations are normally governed by conventions signed by member states. A list of the major conventions is below. Please also see the World Arbitration Reporter (discussed in the Reporters section of this guide) for additional conventions and treaties.
Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) are treaties between two countries that often contain clauses allowing foreign investors to require international arbitration of some categories of investment disputes with the state in which the foreign investment has been made. These treaties often have provisions relating to the enforceability of international arbitration awards.
ICSID’s website contains a database of bilateral investment treaties. You can browse by country or year of signature, or search for a particular treaty between two countries. This database consists of information provided by the countries which enter into such BITs and is therefore not necessarily complete.
The looseleaf publication Investment Promotion and Protection Treaties (Fourth Floor, K1112 .I581) is complied by ICSID and contains the text of the bilateral investment treaties that ICSID has been provided by the signatories to such treaties.
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's ("UNCTAD") website contains a database where one can search all the bilateral investment treaties entered into by a particular country, with date of signature and date of entry into force.
Individual countries will sometimes provide a list of their BITs. The list of BITs currently in force by the United States can be found at the website of the Trade Compliance Center, along with links to the text of such treaties.
The ICA model law was originally adopted in 1985 to help states adapt their laws to accommodate international commercial arbitration and was amended in 2006.
UNCITRAL keeps track of which countries have adopted ICA legislation consistent with the language of the Model Law.