Introduction to Investment Treaty Arbitration (ITA) and Framing the Debate

Chapter 1 introduces the contents of the book by framing the context of international investment more broadly, contextualizing investment-related conflict management, identifying the issues related to cost, and exploring how cognitive psychology and data-driven analysis can offer a frame for considering the relative value of normative reform. After the initial framing, Chapter 1 provides an overview of international investment, with a historic context and a matrix for understanding the current dispute resolution options to set the stage for consideration of alternatives. It then describes ITA’s doctrinal foundation to explore the debate about the costs and benefits of ITA. The final section addresses the need to appreciate the relative value of policy options to make grounded, evidence-based normative choices for investment treaty dispute resolution.