Remove Corruption Remove Negotiation Remove Transparency
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UN’s first ever resolution on public procurement: what makes it strong and what’s still missing

Open Contracting Partnership

At 2 am on Saturday morning, the day after the 10th Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) was meant to end in Atlanta, exhausted negotiators finally adopted a resolution on “ Promoting transparency and integrity in public procurement in support of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ”.

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Raytheon to Pay $950 Million in Major FCA and FCPA Case Aided by Whistleblower

Whistleblower Network News

authorities announced major settlements with defense contractor RTX (formerly known as Raytheon Technologies Corporation) over allegations that the company violated both the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and False Claims Act (FCA). On October 16, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a $950 million settlement while the U.S.

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Countdown to RIDW24: The New Saudi Center for Commercial Arbitration Rules – A Potential World Beater?

Kluwer Arbitration

Article 25: Focus on Efficiency and Cost-Effectiveness Article 25 instructs the tribunal to prioritise efficiency and cost-effectiveness which includes encouraging settlement through negotiation or mediation, albeit (rightly) arbitrators cannot act as mediators without party consent. We look forward to attending the SCCA24 Conference !

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The Sustainable Investment Facilitation Agreement Between the EU and Angola: A New Model for Investment Agreements?

Kluwer Arbitration

Scope of Application Differently from traditional investment agreements, the stated purpose of the SIFA is not only to foster foreign direct investment (“FDI”) (Article 1), but also to do so in a manner that integrates environmental and labour standards, transparency, and corporate social responsibility.

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A Governance Revolution or Costly Distraction? Reassessing the promises of blockchain for public procurement governance

University of Bristol

Blockchain’s touted tamper-proofness and potential to enable smart contracts are driving initiatives that seek to create automated ‘trust in trustless environments’ for public sector use cases , in particular concerning activities highly-exposed to corruption risks and/or the automation of administrative procedures devoid of discretion.

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Aggravating Australia’s Arbitration Ambivalence: Zeph’s ISDS Claims

Kluwer Arbitration

However, such developments do open up the possibility of Australia advancing an “investment court” alternative to ISDS when reviewing older IIAs and negotiating new ones. This is important indeed, but enhanced transparency risks aggravating issues, especially when complex. However, its tribunal membership only overlaps partially.

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European Commission Publishes Non-Paper of Model Clauses for Member States’ Bilateral Investment Agreements with Third Countries

Kluwer Arbitration

In October 2023, the European Commission published a Non-Paper of Annotations to Model Clauses for Negotiation or Re-negotiation of Member States’ Bilateral Investment Treaties (“BITs”) with Third Countries (“Model Clauses”) (“Non-Paper”).