The CARO Centre, through the ACP Legal association, participated in the 51st session of Working Group III of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), held in New York from April 7 to 11, 2025. ACP Legal, which holds Observer status in this context, was represented by Marie-Camille Pitton, Secretary General of the CARO Centre.

UNCITRAL Working Group III brings together representatives of States and organizations to work on the reform of investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS). This involves drafting new codes of conduct, proposal papers, the creation of new institutions such as the Advisory Centre on ISDS, and the preparation of a multilateral instrument on ISDS reform, which will replace the current legal framework with the achievements of the reform process.

This 51st session was dedicated to discussions on ISDS reform, a critical issue for the balance and legal certainty of international economic relations.

During the session, the following draft texts were discussed by delegates from the various participating States and representatives of observer organizations:

• The draft provisions on procedural and cross-cutting issues, as presented in documents A/CN.9/WG.III/WP.244, A/CN.9/WG.III/WP.245 and A/CN.9/WG.III/WP.248;
• The draft statute for a permanent mechanism for the settlement of disputes relating to international investments, along with the accompanying explanatory notes (A/CN.9/WG.III/WP.239 and A/CN.9/WG.III/WP.240);
• The resources available to the Working Group, including the question of whether to recommend the allocation of additional resources, as outlined in the relevant document.

These documents are available on the UNCITRAL Working Group III website.

Through this participation, ACP Legal reaffirms its commitment to contributing to high-level international discussions while amplifying the voice of the Caribbean region.

For more information, please contact the CARO Centre Secretariat at: secretariat@carohadac.org