How arbitration works
How to read an arbitration case page
Short answer
- ICSID case pages
- One page per case, with separate panels for original, revision, annulment and resubmission proceedings 1
- ICSID status values
- Pending or concluded 2
- PCA case list
- Only cases the PCA is authorised to release public information on 4
- CAS appeal awards
- Made public, kept confidential only if both parties agree 6
- UNCTAD count of known treaty cases
- 1,440 at 31 July 2025 5
What a case page is
ICSID describes its case database as "an interactive database of all ICSID registered cases". It keeps separate lists of pending and concluded cases 2.
Each case page is a record of procedure. It lists parties, rules, dates and events. The reasons and the result are in the award or decision text, where one is published 1.
ICSID fields, one by one
The fields below are taken from the ICSID page for ICSID Case No. ARB/07/27, viewed on 24 October 2026 1.
| Field | What it shows | What it does not show |
|---|---|---|
| Subject of Dispute and Economic Sector 1 | A short label for the investment and its sector 1 | The legal claims or their merit 1 |
| Instrument(s) Invoked 1 | The treaty, law or contract the claimant relies on for consent 1 | Whether the tribunal accepted jurisdiction under it 1 |
| Applicable Rules 1 | The rule set, such as ICSID Convention Arbitration Rules 1 | Which edition of the rules applies to each step 1 |
| Claimant(s) and Respondent(s) 1 | The parties and their nationalities 1 | Any finding against either party 1 |
| Date Registered 1 | When the Secretary-General registered the request 1 | A ruling on the claims 1 |
| Composition of Tribunal 1 | Members and who appointed each one 1 | How each member voted 1 |
| Status of Proceeding 1 | Pending or concluded 1,2 | Who prevailed 1 |
| Outcome of Proceeding 1 | The final event, such as an award or decision, with its date 1 | The amount awarded or the reasons 1 |
One case, several proceedings
A single ICSID case number can hold several proceedings. The page for ARB/07/27 has four panels. Each has its own registration date, tribunal or committee, status and outcome line 1.
- Original: registered 10 October 2007, award rendered 9 October 2014 1.
- Revision, requested by the respondent: registered 24 October 2014, decision on revision 12 June 2015 1.
- Annulment, requested by the respondent: registered 9 February 2015, ad hoc committee decision on annulment 9 March 2017 1.
- Resubmission, requested by the claimants: registered 24 October 2018, award rendered 10 July 2023 1.
Claims, decisions and annulment
The request for arbitration states the claimant's case. It is a claim, not a finding. A finding appears only in a tribunal award or decision 1.
An annulment entry means an ad hoc committee reviewed the award under Article 52 of the ICSID Convention. The grounds are limited to five, such as a manifest excess of powers or a failure to state reasons 7. The committee may reject the application or annul the award in full or in part. Of 543 Convention awards to 30 June 2026, 28 were annulled in full or in part and 124 applications were rejected 3.
PCA, CAS and UNCTAD records
The PCA cases page lists the cases on which it is authorised to release public information. Each entry shows the case name and a bracketed case number such as [2023-65]. Status shows only by whether the case sits under current or past cases 4.
The PCA page gives headline totals that are larger than its public list. On 24 October 2026 it reported 90 investment-treaty or investment-law arbitrations and 103 contract arbitrations involving a State or public entity 4.
CAS makes appeal awards public. They stay confidential only if both parties agree 6.
UNCTAD's Investment Dispute Settlement Navigator counts known treaty-based cases. It reported 1,440 at 31 July 2025 and notes that case numbers may be revised upward 5.
Common questions
Does a pending ICSID case mean the state did something wrong?
No. A pending case means the proceeding has not concluded. Findings appear only in an award or decision 1,2.
Where do I find who won an ICSID case?
In the award or decision text. The case page records that an award was rendered and its date, not its content 1.
Why can't I find a case on the PCA website?
The PCA lists only cases on which it is authorised to release public information 4.
Are all investor-state cases public?
No. UNCTAD notes that some arbitrations are confidential, so the true number of cases is likely higher than its count 5.
Rules and charges change. Check the official source linked on this page before you pay or travel. Spotted an error? Email hello@arbitrationawardsdata.com.
Sources
- ICSID: Case Details, ICSID Case No. ARB/07/27
- ICSID: Case Database
- ICSID: The ICSID Caseload, Statistics, Issue 2026-2
- PCA: Cases
- UNCTAD: 1,440 cases now available in the Investment Dispute Settlement Navigator (12 January 2026)
- CAS: Code: Procedural Rules (2025 edition, in force from 1 July 2025)
- ICSID: ICSID Convention, Regulations and Rules (July 2022)
Related
- How investor-state cases end
ICSID data on how investor-state arbitrations end: settlement, discontinuance, tribunal decisions, damages and annulment, with UNCTAD case totals.
- ICSID explained
ICSID is the World Bank Group centre for investment disputes. Its Convention, members, rules, caseload and outcomes from its own statistics.
- ICSID annulment explained
ICSID annulment is a narrow review of an award by an ad hoc committee on five grounds. Time limits, stays, costs and ICSID's own outcome figures.
- UNCITRAL rules and the Permanent Court of Arbitration
UNCITRAL writes arbitration rules and model laws. The PCA administers cases, often under those rules. Versions, roles and the PCA's 2025 caseload.
- Arbitration stages explained
From the arbitration agreement to the request, tribunal, jurisdiction, award and after. What each stage means under ICSID, UNCITRAL and ICC texts.
- What an arbitration award means
An arbitration award is a tribunal's written decision on a dispute. What it must contain, the main types, and what it is not.