1. November 2008 2

2. Contents Introduction Chapter 1: Creation, structure and functioning of ICSID Context: The Decade of the Nineties ICSID's Creation The Role of Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) Characteristics of ICSID Legal Proceedings Prerequisites for ICSID Jurisdiction ICSID Facts and Figures Chapter 2: Observations to the system created by ICSID and the BITs The Relationship between ICSID and The World Bank Questions regarding the Day-to-day Functioning of ICSID The Accumulation of Cases against One Country: Argentina Chapter 3: The cases of Bechtel and Suez The Case of Bechtel The Case of Suez The Relevance of Cases in relation to Human Rights Protection Chapter 4: Challenging ICSID States and their Alternatives Civil Society: Alternatives to the System Bibliography 5 8 9 10 12 12 15 19 21 27 32 33 34 38 42 47 3. 5 4. 6 5. 8 6. 9 7. 10 8. 11 9. 12 10. 13 11. 14 12. 15 13. 16 14. 17 15. 19 16. 20 17. 21 18. 22 19. 23 20. 24 21. 25 22. 26 23. 27 24. 28 25. 29 26. 30 27. 32 28. 33 29. 34 30. 35 31. 36 32. 38 33. 39 34. 40 35. 41 36. 42 37. 43 38. 44 39. 45 40. 46 41. 47 42. 48 43. 49