The law on the protection of foreign investments is situated at the crossroads of international law and diplomacy in the context of a globalized economy. It is therefore not surprising that investment law has undergone fundamental changes in the last decade. The exponential growth of arbitration cases has illustrated a number of complex legal and political issues that have called into question the efficiency and legitimacy of investor State dispute settlement (ISDS). Thus, even for experts in the field it is challenging to keep track with the rapid and fundamental changes of what is often described as one of the most dynamic fields of international law.

Against this background, the present volume provides an ‘Evolution, Evaluation, and Future Developments in International Investment Law’. World leading academics and practitioners shed light on the most important developments such as the evolution of investment law and its relationship to general international law, the practical importance of State contracts, the role of investment protection in the age of climate change, and current reform projects under the auspices of ICSID and UNCITRAL.

The volume is based on six keynote speeches held at the 10 Year Anniversary Conference of the International Investment Law Centre Cologne. The keynote speeches are complemented by comments from different perspectives and thereby illustrate the ongoing exchange of thoughts between academics, counsel, arbitrators and representatives of international institutions.