The UNCITRAL Arbitration and Conciliation Working Group (Working Group II) met for the 53rd session on 4-8 October 2010 in Vienna to resume its discussions on transparency in investment treaty arbitration. The working group was previously considering revisions for increased transparency in investor-state arbitrations as part of its review of the UNCITRAL arbitration rules. However, the proposed transparency revisions were put on hold until the working group completed its work on the generic revisions to the rules (see Legal update, UNCITRAL arbitration rules: transparency put on hold). Following publication of the revised UNCITRAL arbitration rules in July 2010 (see Legal update, UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules 2010: key changes), the UNCITRAL Commission has tasked the working group with preparing a legal standard on the topic of transparency in treaty-based investor-state arbitration. The UNCITRAL Secretariat circulated a questionnaire to states regarding their practice on transparency in investor-state arbitration, replies to which have been published on the Working Group II page on UNCITRAL's website.

The working group's 54th session will take place in New York on 7-11 February 2011. We will continue to report on developments.

Source: United Nations Commission on International Trade Law.