Bolivia
Latin Arbitration Law Country Profile
Arbitration Law
- Law Nº 1770 - Bolivian Arbitration and Mediation Law - March 10, 1997
International Conventions
| |
Signed | Entered into force |
| New York Convention | 28 Apr. 1995 | 27 July 1995 [1] |
| Panama Convention | 2 Aug. 1983 | 29 Apr. 1999 [2] |
| Montevideo Convention | 2 Aug. 1983 |
7 Nov. 1998 [3] |
| ICSID Convention | 3 May 1991 | Denounced |
Investment Protection Treaties
| Bilateral Investment Treaties [4] | Signed | Entered into force | Dispute Resolution Fora |
| Argentina (Sp.) | 17 Mar. 1994 | 1 May 1995 | Local courts ICSID ICSID Additional Facility rules UNCITRAL |
| Austria | 4 Apr. 1997 | 1 July 2002 | ICSID UNCITRAL |
| Belgium and Luxembourg (Fr.) | 25 Apr. 1990 | 10 Jan. 2004 | ICSID ICSID Additional Facility Rules ICC Stockholm Chamber of Commerce |
| Chile (Sp.) |
22 Sept. 1994 |
21 July 1999 |
Local courts ICSID |
| China (Eng.) |
8 May 1992 |
1 Sept. 1996 |
Local courts Ad hoc arbitration |
| Costa Rica |
7 Oct. 2002 |
Not in force |
N.A. |
| Cuba (Sp.) |
6 May 1995 |
23 Aug. 1998 |
Local courts UNCITRAL |
| Denmark |
12 Mar. 1995 |
22 Mar. 1997 |
ICSID UNCITRAL |
| Ecuador (Sp.) |
25 May 1995 |
15 Aug. 1997 |
Local Courts ICSID UNCITRAL |
| France (Eng.) |
25 Oct. 1989 |
12 Oct. 1996 |
ICSID UNCITRAL |
| Germany (Eng.) |
23 Mar. 1987 |
9 Nov. 1990 |
Ad hoc arbitration |
| Italy (It.) |
30 Apr. 1990 |
22 Feb. 1992 |
Local courts ICSID UNCITRAL |
| Korea (Eng.) |
1 Apr. 1996 |
4 June 1997 |
Local courts ICSID |
| Netherlands (Eng.) |
10 Mar. 1992 |
1 Nov. 1994 |
ICSID Ad hoc arbitration |
| Paraguay |
3 May 2001 |
4 Sep. 2003 [5] |
ICSID Ad hoc arbitration |
| Peru (Eng.) |
30 July 1993 |
19 Mar. 1995 |
Local courts ICSID Ad hoc arbitration |
| Romania |
9 Oct. 1995 |
16 Mar. 1997 |
N.A. |
| Spain (Sp.) |
29 Oct. 2001 |
Not in force | Local courts ICSID ICSID Additional Facility Rules UNCITRAL |
| Sweden (Eng.) |
20 Sept. 1990 |
3 July 1992 |
UNCITRAL |
| Switzerland |
6 Nov. 1987 |
13 May 1991 |
ICSID Ad hoc arbitration |
| United Kingdom (Eng.) |
24 May 1988 |
16 Feb. 1990 |
ICSID ICSID Additional Facility Rules UNCITRAL Ad hoc arbitration ICC |
| United States (Eng.) (Sp.) |
17 Apr. 1998 |
6 June 2001 |
Local courts ICSID ICSID Additional Facility rules UNCITRAL Other arbitration institutions |
| Total | 22 | 20 |
|
Free Trade Associations [6] |
Signed |
Entered into force |
|
|
8 Sept. 1990 |
|
|
Andean Community (Eng.) |
26 May 1969 (codified in 2003) |
25 June 1997 |
|
Bolivia - Mexico (Sp.) |
10 Sept. 1994 |
1 Jan. 1995 |
|
MERCOSUR - Bolivia (Economic Complementation Agreement No. 36, signed by Brazil as part of MERCOSUR) |
17 Dec. 1996 |
28 Feb. 1997 |
Certain Arbitration Cases
|
ICSID Cases [7] |
Decisions, Awards and Date [8] |
| Aguas del Tunari S.A. v. Republic of Bolivia (Case No. ARB/02/3) |
|
|
Quimica e Industrial del Borax Ltda. and others v. Republic of Bolivia (Case No. ARB/06/2) |
|
|
E.T.I. Euro Telecom International N.V. v. Republic of Bolivia (Case No. ARB/07/28) |
|
|
Total Cases |
3 |
|
Certain Other Int'l Arb. Cases |
Decisions and Awards |
Date |
|
Gas Trans Boliviano v. Bolivia, UNCITRAL |
Settlement |
22 July 2008 |
|
Euro Telecom International N.V. -E.T.I. v. Bolivia, Ad hoc arbitration |
Pending |
|
|
Ashmore Energy International v. Bolivia, Arbitration Institute of Stockholm's Chamber of Commerce |
Settlement |
21 Nov. 2008 |
|
Oil Tanking GMBH, Graña Montero S.A. and Graña Montero S.A.A. v. Bolivia, Ad hoc arbitration |
Request for arbitration was filed. |
12 Jan. 2010 |
|
Key Court Decisions |
Date [9] |
Tribunal |
|
Constitutional Decision, 0031/2006 |
May 10, 2006 |
Bolivian Constitutional Tribunal |
|
Total Cases |
1 |
|
Cases/Parties Per Year
|
|
AAA/ICDR [10] |
ICC [11] |
ICSID [12] Registered/Concluded |
|
2000 |
N/A |
2 |
0/0 |
|
2001 |
N/A |
0 |
0/0 |
|
2002 |
N/A |
1 |
1/1 |
|
2003 |
N/A |
6 |
0/0 |
|
2004 |
0 |
1 |
0/0 |
|
2005 |
2 |
1 |
0/0 |
|
2006 |
/ |
0 |
1/0 |
|
2007 |
/ |
0 |
1/1 |
|
2008 |
/ |
0 |
0/0 |
Arbitral Institutions
Centro de Conciliación y Arbitraje de la Cámara Nacional de Comercio de Bolivia
Centro de Conciliación y Arbitraje de la Cámara de Comercio de Cochabamba
Centro de Conciliación y Arbitraje de la Cámara de Comercio, Servicios e Industria de Santa Cruz - CAINCO
DISCLAIMER: USERS OF THIS SITE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR VERIFYING THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN EACH COUNTRY BRIEF, THESE MATERIALS MAY NOT REFLECT THE MOST CURRENT LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS OR DECISIONS.
[1] According to Article XII 2) of the New York Convention, "[For each State ratifying or acceding to this Convention after the deposit of the third instrument of ratification or accession, this Convention shall enter into force on the ninetieth day after deposit by such State of its instrument of ratification or accession." Bolivia deposited its instrument of ratification on April 28, 1995 (information available at http://www.uncitral.org/uncitral/en/uncitral_texts/arbitration/NYConvention_status.html , last visited on March 1, 2010).
[2] According to Article 10 of the Panama Convention, "[f]or each State ratifying ... the Convention after the [Convention's entry into force,] the Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after deposit by such State of its instrument of ratification." Bolivia deposited its instrument of ratification on April 29, 1999 (information available at http://www.sice.org/dispute/comarb/intl_conv/caicpae.asp, last visited on March 1, 2010).
[3] According to Article 11 of the Montevideo Convention, "[f]or each State ratifying ... the Convention after the [Convention's entry into force,] the Convention shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after deposit by such State of its instrument of ratification." Bolivia deposited its instrument of ratification on October 8, 1998 (information available at http://www.sice.org/dispute/comarb/intl_conv/caicmoe.asp, last visited on March 1, 2010).
[4] Sources: UNCTAD - Country-specific lists of BITs (available at http://www.unctad.org/Templates/Page.asp?intItemID=2344&lang=1, last visited March 1, 2010).
[5] According to Paraguay's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Also, Bolivia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists a BIT with Paraguay, but that website only provides a signature date and registration date of the Treaty. UNCTAD mentions that is not in force. We will consider the BIT as in force.
[6] Source: OAS - SICE Foreign Trade Information System (available at http://www.sice.oas.org/agreements_e.asp, last visited: March 1, 2010).
[7] Cases are presented in chronological order according to the registration number (ICSID and Other Int'l Arbitration Cases) or the day of issuance (Court Decisions).
[8] Date the decision or award was rendered.
[9] Date the decision was rendered.
[10] No. of cases administered by the International Center for Dispute Resolution of the AAA with a party from Bolivia.
[11] No. of Parties from Bolivia involved in Arbitration cases under ICC Rules.
[12] No. of cases registered by the ICSID Secretariat with Bolivia as Respondent State.
