ICC and UNIDROIT invite comments on draft principles and model clauses for international investment contracts

The Institute of World Business Law of the International Chamber of Commerce (“<span class="news-text_medium">ICC Institute</span>”) and the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (“<span class="news-text_medium">UNIDROIT</span>”) have launched a public consultation on their draft Principles and Model Clauses for International Investment Contracts (the “<span class="news-text_medium">Instrument</span>”).

A working group on international investment contracts prepared the draft Instrument. Its objectives are to modernise and standardise international investment contracts in response to the developing landscape of investment law and arbitration and to provide guidance that promotes sustainable investment.

Consultation objectives and scope

The consultation invites submissions from a broad range of public and private stakeholders. These include global and regional arbitral institutions, particularly bodies engaged in alternative dispute resolution and investor-state dispute settlement; state and governmental bodies; international and supranational organisations; chambers of commerce and business associations; and academics and think-tanks.

Among other objectives, the consultation aims to ensure that the Instrument:

• provides a balanced framework for states and private investors;
• can be used in a range of settings, including developing and developed economies and emerging markets, across civil-law and common-law jurisdictions; and
• identifies and addresses legal and practical issues arising throughout the life cycle of international investment contracts.

The draft principles and model clauses address significant legal and practical aspects of such contracts, including formation, validity, rights and obligations, changed circumstances, remedies, including compensation and damages, choice of law and dispute settlement.

Comments must be submitted to the UNIDROIT Secretariat by 15 September 2026 at 12.00 midnight CEST. They should be sent by email to <a href="mailto:IICs-consultation@unidroit.org" class="news-text_link">IICs-consultation@unidroit.org</a> in MS Word format or an equivalent open-access text-editor format and can be submitted in English or French.

The working group will consider the feedback at its ninth session, scheduled for 19–21 October 2026. The Instrument is expected to be finalised and published by the end of 2026.

‍

<span class="news-text_medium">Source:</span> ICC, ICC and UNIDROIT launch public consultation for international investment contracts, 15 July 2026.