Role of Member States

As a Member of ICSID, each State participates in the Administrative Council. Through the Administrative Council, Member States determine the general directions of the organization.

Meetings of the Administrative Council

The Administrative Council must meet at least once a year. The Council may convene in person more often if necessary, and may also vote on issues by correspondence (Article 7 of the ICSID Convention).

Annual Meetings of the ICSID Administrative Council are usually held in conjunction with the Annual Meetings of the Board of Governors of the World Bank. The Secretary-General circulates a meeting agenda and background documentation for the Council members.

The Chairman presides over the Annual Meetings of the Administrative Council and ensures that all matters on the agenda are addressed. The Chairman does not vote on Council resolutions. Decisions of the Administrative Council are taken by a vote of members present at a meeting or by correspondence (Articles 4 to 8 of the ICSID Convention).

At its Annual Meetings, the Administrative Council typically considers and approves the Annual Report of the Centre and adopts the budget of the Centre for the next fiscal year. The Council may consider and decide other matters before it, such as proposed amendments to the ICSID rules, and election of the Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General.

All Decisions adopted by the ICSID Administrative Council (called ‘Resolutions’) are reproduced in the ICSID Annual Reports. The Resolutions made by the Administrative Council reflect formal texts adopted by the Council.

Designations and Notifications under the ICSID Convention

Each Member State may also make designations and notifications under the ICSID Convention. These may be made when ratifying the Convention, or at any time thereafter. Notifications and designations may relate to measures taken by Member States related to specific provisions of the ICSID Convention. For example:

  • Designation of constituent subdivisions or agencies for jurisdictional purposes (Article 25(1) and (3) of the Convention);
  • Notification of the classes of disputes a State would consider for submission to ICSID (Article 25(4) of the Convention);
  • Designation of courts or other authorities for the recognition and enforcement of ICSID Convention awards (Article 54(2) of the Convention);
  • Legislative and other measures taken by a State to make the ICSID Convention effective in its territory (Article 69 of the Convention); and
  • Exclusion of territories from the coverage of the Convention (Article 70 of the Convention).

The database of Member States lists these measures by Member States. The ICSID Secretariat also maintains official lists of such measures in Measures by Member States (ICSID/8).

Member States are also entitled to designate persons to the ICSID Panels of Arbitrators and Conciliators (Article 13 of the ICSID Convention).