On 20 April 2023, Marie-Camille Pitton, the secretary general of the OHADAC Regional Arbitration Centre, participated in the virtual conference organised by Oil, Gas & Energy Law (OGEL)/Transnational Dispute Management (TDM) on “The future of investment law in Latin America: energy sovereignty and mineral resources”.

Marie-Camille Pitton participated in the fourth panel dedicated to arbitration institutions, alongside representatives of the International Chamber of Commerce, the International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) and the Arbitration Centre of Mexico (CAM).

This participation permitted a discussion of the role that the CARO Centre may be required to play in the treatment of disputes relating to investments in Latin America, particularly in the context of energy sovereignty and mineral resources.

During her intervention, Marie-Camille Pitton pointed out that resolution of investment disputes in the Caribbean region is still a relatively modest phenomenon, relating to the electricity, petroleum and gas sectors.

However, the number of cases is increasing, and there is a particularly acute need to take into account the environmental issues when handling investment disputes. The Caribbean region pays a particularly high price in the context of global warming, as the region is amongst the first to suffer its effects. The Caribbean is particularly affected by hurricanes, earthquakes, sea level rise and maritime pollution. The region must therefore preserve its independence in terms of environmental regulation, together with its financial stability, to allow it to combat the effects of global warming and the deterioration of its environment.

Mme Pitton also highlighted that, with the exception of a few procedural adaptations specific to its geographical position, the CARO Centre is authorised to settle disputes relating to investments.

In this regard, she emphasised the importance of the role played by CARICOM as a stakeholder in the training of States in this domain, in collaboration with established institutions such as the University of the West Indies.

For more information, please contact: secretariat@carohadac.org.