The Transformation of International Organizations—Specialization, New Initiatives, and Working Methods—Some Observations on the Work of UNCITRAL Working Group III

ABSTRACT International organizations are essential actors in the international legal system and play key roles in all aspects of international law, from its creation to its enforcement and implementation. As their work becomes progressively more significant and specialized, international organizations have also embarked on many new initiatives and have adopted new working methods. An interesting example of this development is the effort of United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Working Group III (WGIII) to reform Investor–State Dispute Settlement (ISDS), a unique international dispute settlement mechanism that permits a foreign investor to bring a claim against a State on issues related to international investment law. At a time of declining international codification, UNCITRAL WGIII’s plan to reform ISDS stands out as remarkably ambitious. It is also responsive to identified vacuums and needs and is likely to lead, at least partially, to a degree of reform of ISDS. In this short contribution, I first introduce the codification of international economic law issues as distinct from other kinds of codification. I then introduce UNCITRAL and explore the work of UNCITRAL WGIII more specifically. In particular, I explain and assess the ISDS reform process as an example of an ongoing transformation of the work of international organizations and a new initiative on which they embarked using a specific methodology of selecting issues, developing draft texts, and serving as a place for drafting negotiations.