(i) Article 18.8 (National Treatment); or
(ii) Article 4 of the TRIPS Agreement.
6. Article 9.4 (National Treatment), Article 9.5 (Most-Favoured-Nation Treatment) and Article 9.11 (Senior Management and Boards of Directors) shall not apply to:
(a) government procurement; or
(b) subsidies or grants provided by a Party, including government-supported loans, guarantees and insurance.
7. For greater certainty, any amendments or modifications to a Party's Schedules to Annex I or Annex I, pursuant to this Article, shall be made in accordance with Article 30.2 (Amendments).
Article 9.13. Subrogation
If a Party, or any agency, institution, statutory body or corporation designated by the Party, makes a payment to an investor of the Party under a guarantee, a contract of insurance or other form of indemnity that it has entered into with respect to a covered investment, the other Party in whose territory the covered investment was made shall recognise the subrogation or transfer of any tights the investor would have possessed under this Chapter with respect to the covered investment but for the subrogation, and the investor shall be precluded from pursuing these rights to the extent of the subrogation.
Article 9.14. Special Formalities and Information Requirements
1. Nothing in Article 9.4 (National Treatment) shall be construed to prevent a Party from adopting or maintaining a measure that prescribes special formalities in connection with a covered investment, such as a residency requirement for registration or a requirement that a covered investment be legally constituted under the laws or regulations of the Party, provided that these formalities do not materially impair the protections afforded by the Party to investors of another Party and covered investments pursuant to this Chapter.
2. Notwithstanding Article 9.4 (National Treatment) and Article 9.5 (Most- Favoured-Nation Treatment), a Party may require an investor of another Party or its covered investment to provide information concerning that investment solely for informational or statistical purposes. The Party shall protect such information that is confidential from any disclosure that would prejudice the competitive position of the investor or the covered investment. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to prevent a Party from otherwise obtaining or disclosing information in connection with the equitable and good faith application of its law.
Article 9.15. Denial of Benefits
1. A Party may deny the benefits of this Chapter to an investor of another Party that is an enterprise of that other Party and to investments of that investor if the enterprise:
(a) is owned or controlled by a person of a non-Party or of the denying Party; and
(b) has no substantial business activities in the territory of any Party other than the denying Party.
2. A Party may deny the benefits of this Chapter to an investor of another Party that is an enterprise of that other Party and to investments of that investor if persons of a non-Party own or control the enterprise and the denying Party adopts or maintains measures with respect to the non-Party or a person of the non-Party that prohibit transactions with the enterprise or that would be violated or circumvented if the benefits of this Chapter were accorded to the enterprise or to its investments.
Article 9.16. Investment and Environmental, Health and other Regulatory Objectives
Nothing in this Chapter shall be construed to prevent a Party from adopting, maintaining or enforcing any measure otherwise consistent with this Chapter that it considers appropriate to ensure that investment activity in its territory is undertaken in a manner sensitive to environmental, health or other regulatory objectives.
Article 9.17. Corporate Social Responsibility
The Parties reaffirm the importance of each Party encouraging enterprises operating within its territory or subject to its jurisdiction to voluntarily incorporate into their internal policies those internationally recognised standards, guidelines and principles of corporate social responsibility that have been endorsed or are supported by that Party.
Section B. Investor-State Dispute Settlement
Article 9.18. Consultation and Negotiation
1. In the event of an investment dispute, the claimant and the respondent should initially seek to resolve the dispute through consultation and negotiation, which may include the use of non-binding, third party procedures, such as good offices, conciliation or mediation.
2. The claimant shall deliver to the respondent a written request for consultations setting out a brief description of facts regarding the measure or measures at issue.
3. For greater certainty, the initiation of consultations and negotiations shall not be construed as recognition of the jurisdiction of the tribunal.
Article 9.19. Submission of a Claim to Arbitration
1. If an investment dispute has not been resolved within six months of the receipt by the respondent of a written request for consultations pursuant to Article 9.18.2 (Consultation and Negotiation):
(a) the claimant, on its own behalf, may submit to arbitration under this Section a claim:
(i) that the respondent has breached:
(A) an obligation under Section A;
(B) an investment authorisation; (31) or
(C) an investment agreement; and
(ii) that the claimant has incurred loss or damage by reason of, or arising out of, that breach; and
(b) the claimant, on behalf of an enterprise of the respondent that is a juridical person that the claimant owns or controls directly or indirectly, may submit to arbitration under this Section a claim:
(i) that the respondent has breached:
(A) an obligation under Section A;
(B) an investment authorisation; or
(C) an investment agreement; and
(ii) that the enterprise has incurred loss or damage by reason of, or arising out of, that breach,
provided that a claimant may submit pursuant to subparagraph (a)(i)(C) or (b)G)(C) a claim for breach of an investment agreement only if the subject matter of the claim and the claimed damages directly relate to the covered investment that was established or acquired, or sought to be established or acquired, in reliance on the relevant investment agreement.
2. When the claimant submits a claim pursuant to paragraph 1(a)(i)(B), 1(a)(i)(C), 1(b)(i)(B) or 1(b)(i)(C), the respondent may make a counterclaim in connection with the factual and legal basis of the claim or rely on a claim for the purpose of a set off against the claimant. (32)
3. At least 90 days before submitting any claim to arbitration under this Section, the claimant shall deliver to the respondent a written notice of its intention to submit a claim to arbitration (notice of intent). The notice shall specify:
(a) the name and address of the claimant and, if a claim is submitted on behalf of an enterprise, the name, address and place of incorporation of the enterprise;
(b) for each claim, the provision of this Agreement, investment authorisation or investment agreement alleged to have been breached and any other relevant provisions;
(c) the legal and factual basis for each claim; and
(d) the relief sought and the approximate amount of damages claimed.
4. The claimant may submit a claim referred to in paragraph 1 under one of the following alternatives:
(a) the ICSID Convention and the ICSID Rules of Procedure for Arbitration Proceedings, provided that both the respondent and the Party of the claimant are parties to the ICSID Convention;
(b) the ICSID Additional Facility Rules, provided that either the respondent or the Party of the claimant is a party to the ICSID Convention;
(c) the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules; or
(d) if the claimant and respondent agree, any other arbitral institution or any other arbitration rules.
5. A claim shall be deemed submitted to arbitration under this Section when the claimant's notice of or request for arbitration (notice of arbitration):
(a) referred to in the ICSID Convention is received by the Secretary- General;
(b) referred to in the ICSID Additional Facility Rules is received by the Secretary-General;
(c) referred to in the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, together with the statement of claim referred to therein, are received by the respondent; or
(d) referred to under any arbitral institution or arbitration rules selected under paragraph 4(d) is received by the respondent.
A claim asserted by the claimant for the first time after such notice of arbitration is submitted shall be deemed submitted to arbitration under this Section on the date of its receipt under the applicable arbitration rules.
6. The arbitration rules applicable under paragraph 4 that are in effect on the date the claim or claims were submitted to arbitration under this Section shall govern the arbitration except to the extent modified by this Agreement.
7. The claimant shall provide with the notice of arbitration:
(a) the name of the arbitrator that the claimant appoints; or
(b) the claimant's written consent for the Secretary-General to appoint that arbitrator.
Article 9.20. Consent of Each Party to Arbitration
1. Each Party consents to the submission of a claim to arbitration under this Section in accordance with this Agreement.
2. The consent under paragraph 1 and the submission of a claim to arbitration under this Section shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of:
(a) Chapter II of the ICSID Convention (Jurisdiction of the Centre) and the ICSID Additional Facility Rules for written consent of the parties to the dispute;
(b) Article II of the New York Convention for an "agreement in writing"; and
(c) Article I of the Inter-American Convention for an "agreement".
Article 9.21. Conditions and Limitations on Consent of Each Party
1, No claim shall be submitted to arbitration under this Section if more than three years and six months have elapsed from the date on which the claimant first acquired, or should have first acquired, knowledge of the breach alleged under Article 9.19.1 (Submission of a Claim to Arbitration) and knowledge that the claimant (for claims brought under Article 9.19.1(a)) or the enterprise (for claims brought under Article 9.19.1(b)) has incurred loss or damage.
2. No claim shall be submitted to arbitration under this Section unless:
(a) the claimant consents in writing to arbitration in accordance with the procedures set out in this Agreement; and
(b) the notice of arbitration is accompanied:
(i) for claims submitted to arbitration under Article 9.19.1(a) (Submission of a Claim to Arbitration), by the claimant's written waiver; and
(ii) for claims submitted to arbitration under Article 9.19.1(b) (Submission of a Claim to Arbitration), by the claimant's and the enterprise's written waivers,
of any right to initiate or continue before any court or administrative tribunal under the law of a Party, or any other dispute settlement procedures, any proceeding with respect to any measure alleged to constitute a breach referred to in Article 9.19 (Submission of a Claim to Arbitration).
3. Notwithstanding paragraph 2(b), the claimant (for claims brought under Article 9.19.1(a) (Submission of a Claim to Arbitration)) and the claimant or the enterprise (for claims brought under Article 9.19.1(b)) may initiate or continue an action that seeks interim injunctive relief and does not involve the payment of monetary damages before a judicial or administrative tribunal of the respondent, provided that the action is brought for the sole purpose of preserving the claimant's or the enterprise's rights and interests during the pendency of the arbitration.
Article 9.22. Selection of Arbitrators
1. Unless the disputing parties agree otherwise, the tribunal shall comprise three arbitrators, one arbitrator appointed by each of the disputing parties and the third, who shall be the presiding arbitrator, appointed by agreement of the disputing parties.
2. The Secretary-General shall serve as appointing authority for an arbitration under this Section.
3. If a tribunal has not been constituted within a period of 75 days after the date that a claim is submitted to arbitration under this Section, the Secretary-General, on the request of a disputing party, shall appoint, in his or her discretion, the arbitrator or arbitrators not yet appointed. The Secretary-General shall not appoint a national of either the respondent or the Party of the claimant as the presiding arbitrator unless the disputing parties agree otherwise.
4. For the purposes of Article 39 of the ICSID Convention and Article 7 of Schedule C to the ICSID Additional Facility Rules, and without prejudice to an objection to an arbitrator on a ground other than nationality:
(a) the respondent agrees to the appointment of each individual member of a tribunal established under the ICSID Convention or the ICSID Additional Facility Rules;
(b) a claimant referred to in Article 9.19.1(a) (Submission of a Claim to Arbitration) may submit a claim to arbitration under this Section, or continue a claim, under the ICSID Convention or the ICSID Additional Facility Rules, only on condition that the claimant agrees in writing to the appointment of each individual member of the tribunal; and
(c) a claimant referred to in Article 9.19.1(b) (Submission of a Claim to Arbitration) may submit a claim to arbitration under this Section, or continue a claim, under the ICSID Convention or the ICSID Additional Facility Rules, only on condition that the claimant and the enterprise agree in writing to the appointment of each individual member of the tribunal.
5. In the appointment of arbitrators to a tribunal for claims submitted under Article 9.19.1(a)(i)(B) (Submission of a Claim to Arbitration), Article 9.19.1(b)(i)(B), Article 9.19.1(a)(i)(C) or Article 9.19.1(b)(i)(C), each disputing party shall take into account the expertise or relevant experience of particular candidates with respect to the relevant governing law under Article 9.25.2 (Governing Law). If the parties fail to agree on the appointment of the presiding arbitrator, the Secretary-General shall also take into account the expertise or relevant experience of particular candidates with respect to the relevant governing law under Article 9.25.2.
6. The Parties shall, prior to the entry into force of this Agreement, provide guidance on the application of the Code of Conduct for Dispute Settlement Proceedings under Chapter 28 (Dispute Settlement) to arbitrators selected to serve on investor-State dispute settlement tribunals pursuant to this Article, including any necessary modifications to the Code of Conduct to conform to the context of investor-State dispute settlement. The Parties shall also provide guidance on the application of other relevant rules or guidelines on conflicts of interest in international arbitration. Arbitrators shall comply with that guidance in addition to the applicable arbitral rules regarding independence and impartiality of arbitrators.
Article 9.23. Conduct of the Arbitration
1. The disputing parties may agree on the legal place of any arbitration under the arbitration rules applicable under Article 9.19.4 (Submission of a Claim to Arbitration). If the disputing parties fail to reach agreement, the tribunal shall determine the place in accordance with the applicable arbitration rules, provided that the place shall be in the territory of a State that is a party to the New York Convention.
2. A non-disputing Party may make oral and written submissions to the tribunal regarding the interpretation of this Agreement.
3. After consultation with the disputing parties, the tribunal may accept and consider written amicus curiae submissions regarding a matter of fact or law within the scope of the dispute that may assist the tribunal in evaluating the submissions and arguments of the disputing parties from a person or entity that is not a disputing party but has a significant interest in the arbitral proceedings. Each submission shall identify the author; disclose any affiliation, direct or indirect, with any disputing party; and identify any person, government or other entity that has provided, or will provide, any financial or other assistance in preparing the submission. Each submission shall be in a language of the arbitration and comply with any page limits and deadlines set by the tribunal. The tribunal shall provide the disputing parties with an opportunity to respond to such submissions. The tribunal shall ensure that the submissions do not disrupt or unduly burden the arbitral proceedings, or unfairly prejudice any disputing party.
4. Without prejudice to a tribunal's authority to address other objections as a preliminary question, such as an objection that a dispute is not within the competence of the tribunal, including an objection to the tribunal's jurisdiction, a tribunal shall address and decide as a preliminary question any objection by the respondent that, as a matter of law, a claim submitted is not a claim for which an award in favour of the claimant may be made under Article 9.29 (Awards) or that a claim is manifestly without legal merit.
(a) An objection under this paragraph shall be submitted to the tribunal as soon as possible after the tribunal is constituted, and in no event later than the date the tribunal fixes for the respondent to submit its counter-memorial or, in the case of an amendment to the notice of arbitration, the date the tribunal fixes for the respondent to submit its response to the amendment.
(b) On receipt of an objection under this paragraph, the tribunal shall suspend any proceedings on the merits, establish a schedule for considering the objection consistent with any schedule it has established for considering any other preliminary question, and issue a decision or award on the objection, stating the grounds therefor.
(c) In deciding an objection under this paragraph that a claim submitted is not a claim for which an award in favour of the claimant may be made under Article 9.29 (Awards), the tribunal shall assume to be true the claimant's factual allegations in support of any claim in the notice of arbitration (or any amendment thereof) and, in disputes brought under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, the statement of claim referred to in the relevant article of the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules. The tribunal may also consider any relevant facts not in dispute.
(d) The respondent does not waive any objection as to competence, including an objection to jurisdiction, or any argument on the merits merely because the respondent did or did not raise an objection under this paragraph or make use of the expedited procedure set out in paragraph 5.
5. In the event that the respondent so requests within 45 days after the tribunal is constituted, the tribunal shall decide on an expedited basis an objection under paragraph 4 or any objection that the dispute is not within the tribunal's competence, including an objection that the dispute is not within the tribunal's jurisdiction. The tribunal shall suspend any proceedings on the merits and issue a decision or award on the objection, stating the grounds therefor, no later than 150 days after the date of the request. However, if a disputing party requests a hearing, the tribunal may take an additional 30 days to issue the decision or award. Regardless of whether a hearing is requested, a tribunal may, on a showing of extraordinary cause, delay issuing its decision or award by an additional brief period, which may not exceed 30 days.
6. When the tribunal decides a respondent's objection under paragraph 4 or 5, it may, if warranted, award to the prevailing disputing party reasonable costs and attorney's fees incurred in submitting or opposing the objection. In determining whether such an award is warranted, the tribunal shall consider whether either the claimant's claim or the respondent's objection was frivolous, and shall provide the disputing parties a reasonable opportunity to comment.
7. For greater certainty, if an investor of a Party submits a claim under this Section, including a claim alleging that a Party breached Article 9.6 (Minimum Standard of Treatment), the investor has the burden of proving all elements of its claims, consistent with general principles of international law applicable to international arbitration.
8. A respondent may not assert as a defence, counterclaim, right of set-off or for any other reason, that the claimant has received or will receive indemnification or other compensation for all or part of the alleged damages pursuant to an insurance or guarantee contract.
9. A tribunal may order an interim measure of protection to preserve the rights of a disputing party, or to ensure that the tribunal's jurisdiction is made fully effective, including an order to preserve evidence in the possession or control of a disputing party or to protect the tribunal's jurisdiction. A tribunal may not order attachment or enjoin the application of a measure alleged to constitute a breach referred to in Article 9.19 (Submission of a Claim to Arbitration). For the purposes of this paragraph, an order includes a recommendation.
10. In any arbitration conducted under this Section, at the request of a disputing party, a tribunal shall, before issuing a decision or award on liability, transmit its proposed decision or award to the disputing parties. Within 60 days after the tribunal transmits its proposed decision or award, the disputing parties may submit written comments to the tribunal concerning any aspect of its proposed decision or award. The tribunal shall consider any comments and issue its decision or award no later than 45 days after the expiration of the 60 day comment period.
11. In the event that an appellate mechanism for reviewing awards rendered by investor-State dispute settlement tribunals is developed in the future under other institutional arrangements, the Parties shall consider whether awards rendered under Article 9.29 (Awards) should be subject to that appellate mechanism. The Parties shall strive to ensure that any such appellate mechanism they consider adopting provides for transparency of proceedings similar to the transparency provisions established in Article 9.24 (Transparency of Arbitral Proceedings).
Article 9.24. Transparency of Arbitral Proceedings
1. Subject to paragraphs 2 and 4, the respondent shall, after receiving the following documents, promptly transmit them to the non-disputing Parties and make them available to the public:
(a) the notice of intent;
(b) the notice of arbitration;
(c) pleadings, memorials and briefs submitted to the tribunal by a disputing party and any written submissions submitted pursuant to Article 9.23.2 (Conduct of the Arbitration) and Article 9.23.3 and Article 9.28 (Consolidation);
(d) minutes or transcripts of hearings of the tribunal, if available; and
(e) orders, awards and decisions of the tribunal.
2. The tribunal shall conduct hearings open to the public and shall determine, in consultation with the disputing parties, the appropriate logistical arrangements. If a disputing party intends to use information in a hearing that is designated as protected information or otherwise subject to paragraph 3 it shall so advise the tribunal. The tribunal shall make appropriate arrangements to protect such information from disclosure which may include closing the hearing for the duration of the discussion of that information.
3. Nothing in this Section, including paragraph 4(d), requires a respondent to make available to the public or otherwise disclose during or after the arbitral proceedings, including the hearing, protected information, or to furnish or allow access to information that it may withhold in accordance with Article 29.2 (Security Exceptions) or Article 29.7 (Disclosure of Information). (33)
4. Any protected information that is submitted to the tribunal shall be protected from disclosure in accordance with the following procedures:
(a) subject to subparagraph (d), neither the disputing parties nor the tribunal shall disclose to any non-disputing Party or to the public any protected information if the disputing party that provided the information clearly designates it in accordance with subparagraph (b);
(b) any disputing party claiming that certain information constitutes protected information shall clearly designate the information according to any schedule set by the tribunal;
(c) a disputing party shall, according to any schedule set by the tribunal, submit a redacted version of the document that does not contain the protected information. Only the redacted version shall be disclosed in accordance with paragraph 1; and
(d) the tribunal, subject to paragraph 3, shall decide any objection regarding the designation of information claimed to be protected information. If the tribunal determines that the information was not properly designated, the disputing party that submitted the information may:
(i) withdraw all or part of its submission containing that information; or
(ii) agree to resubmit complete and redacted documents with corrected designations in accordance with the tribunal's determination and subparagraph (c).
In either case, the other disputing party shall, whenever necessary, resubmit complete and redacted documents which either remove the information withdrawn under subparagraph (d)(i) by the disputing party that first submitted the information or redesignate the information consistent with the designation under subparagraph (d)(i) of the disputing party that first submitted the information.
5. Nothing in this Section requires a respondent to withhold from the public information required to be disclosed by its laws. The respondent should endeavour to apply those laws in a manner sensitive to protecting from disclosure information that has been designated as protected information.
Article 9.25. Governing Law
1. Subject to paragraph 3, when a claim is submitted under Article 9.19.1(a)(i)(A) (Submission of a Claim to Arbitration) or Article 9.19.1(b)(i)(A), the tribunal shall decide the issues in dispute in accordance with this Agreement and applicable rules of international law. (34)
2. Subject to paragraph 3 and the other provisions of this Section, when a claim is submitted under Article 9.19.1(a)(i)(B) (Submission of a Claim to Arbitration), Article 9.19.1(a)(i)(C), Article 9.19.1(b)(i)(B) or Article 9.19.1(b)(i)(C), the tribunal shall apply:
(a) the rules of law applicable to the pertinent investment authorisation or specified in the pertinent investment authorisation or investment agreement, or as the disputing parties may agree otherwise; or
(b) if, in the pertinent investment agreement the rules of law have not been specified or otherwise agreed:
(i) the law of the respondent, including its rules on the conflict of laws; (35) and
(ii) such rules of international law as may be applicable.
3. A decision of the Commission on the interpretation of a provision of this Agreement under Article 27.2.2(f) (Functions of the Commission) shall be binding on a tribunal, and any decision or award issued by a tribunal must be consistent with that decision.
Article 9.26. Interpretation of Annexes
1. If a respondent asserts as a defence that the measure alleged to be a breach is within the scope of a non-conforming measure set out in Annex I or Annex H, the tribunal shall, on request of the respondent, request the interpretation of the Commission on the issue. The Commission shall submit in writing any decision on its interpretation under Article 27.2.2(f) (Functions of the Commission) to the tribunal within 90 days of delivery of the request.
2. A decision issued by the Commission under paragraph 1 shall be binding on the tribunal, and any decision or award issued by the tribunal must be consistent with that decision. If the Commission fails to issue such a decision within 90 days, the tribunal shall decide the issue.
Article 9.27. Expert Reports
Without prejudice to the appointment of other kinds of experts when authorised by the applicable arbitration rules, a tribunal, on request of a disputing party or, unless the disputing parties disapprove, on its own initiative, may appoint one or more experts to report to it in writing on any factual issue concerning scientific matters raised by a disputing party in a proceeding, subject to any terms and conditions that the disputing parties may agree.
Article 9.28. Consolidation
1. If two or more claims have been submitted separately to arbitration under Article 9.19.1 (Submission of a Claim to Arbitration) and the claims have a question of law or fact in common and arise out of the same events or circumstances, any disputing party may seek a consolidation order in accordance with the agreement of all the disputing parties sought to be covered by the order or the terms of paragraphs 2 through 10.
2. A disputing party that seeks a consolidation order under this Article shall deliver, in writing, a request to the Secretary-General and to all the disputing parties sought to be covered by the order and shall specify in the request:
(a) the names and addresses of all the disputing parties sought to be covered by the order;
(b) the nature of the order sought; and
(c) the grounds on which the order is sought.
3. Unless the Secretary-General finds within a period of 30 days after the date of receiving a request under paragraph 2 that the request is manifestly unfounded, a tribunal shall be established under this Article.
4. Unless all the disputing parties sought to be covered by the order agree otherwise, a tribunal established under this Article shall comprise three arbitrators:
(a) one arbitrator appointed by agreement of the claimants; (b) one arbitrator appointed by the respondent; and
(c) the presiding arbitrator appointed by the Secretary-General, provided that the presiding arbitrator is not a national of the respondent or of a Party of any claimant.