Document Type : Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student in International Law, Islamic Azad Universirt, Qom Branch, Qom, Iran.

2 Associate Prof., Qom University, Qom , Iran

10.22059/jplsq.2023.335151.2961

Abstract

On 10 March 2020, the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal rendered its partial award in Case No. A15 (II:A). The case was brought before the Court by Iran, citing a breach of the United States' obligations under principle A and paragraph 9 of the Algeria General Declration to arrange for transfer to Iran of all “Iranian properties”. The court had to first establish Iran's title to the properties at issu in this case. To that end, relying on the conflict of law reuls of private international law the Court chose the law of the United States as lex rei sitae. Accordingly, Iran’s titele to the properties became subject to their delivary to Iran and accordciglly subject of the United State obligation to arrange for their transfer. As a result, the vast majority of Iran's claims have been dismissed. Now, given the nature of the Court as an international tribunal and the basis of litigation in an international treaty, the question is whether the Court has taken a proper approach to this issue. This article seeks to answer this question by relying on the descriptive-analytical method of research and using relevant library resources and jurisprudence and the dissenting opinion of the judges of the Court. It seems that a unified approach has not been adopted in this regard, but the characteristics of this court and the founding document of the court have prevented the court from adopting this approach. 

Keywords

Main Subjects

  1. English

    1. A) Books
    2. Aldrich, G., (1996). The Jurisprudence of the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    3. Brower, Ch. )1998.( The Iran - United States Claims Tribunal. 1st edition, London: Springer.
    4. Khan, R. (1990). The Iran-United States Claims Tribunal: Controversies, Cases and Contribution. Netherland: Martinus Nijhoff Publisher.
    5. Kjos, E. (2013). Applicable Law in Investor-State Arbitration: The Interplay between National and International Law. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
    6. Mapp, W. (1993). The Iran-United States Claims Tribunal: The First Ten Years 1981-1991. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

     

    1. B) Articles
    2. Arab Chadegani, R. (2020). Applicable Law and its Effect on Foreign Military Sales (FMS) in Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal.Public Law Studies Quarterly, 50(4), 1643-1662. doi: 10.22059/jplsq.2018.261823.1789
    3. Claims tribunal experience. American Journal of International Law, 83 (2), 278-311.
    4. Crook, J. R. (1989). Applicable law in international arbitration: The iran-u.s. claims tribunal experience. American Journal of International Law, 83(2), 278-311.
    5. Crook, J. R. (1989). Applicable law in international arbitration: The iran-u.s.
    6. Douglas, (2003). The Hybrid Foundations of Investment Treaty Arbitration. British Yearbook of International Law, 74(1), 151–289.
    7. Mohebi, M. (1995). Legal nature of the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal from the perspective of international law. International Law Review, 13(18-19), 95-144. doi: 10.22066/cilamag.1995.18295

     

    1. C) Arbitral Awards and separate opinions
    2. ABEDIAN K., H., 2020, IUSCT, Award No. 604-A15 (II:A)/A26 (IV)/B43-FT,Separate Opinion of Judge Mffi-Hossein Abedian Kalkhoran Concurring in Part, Dissenting in Part.
    3. ICJ, 1971, Legal Consequences for States of the Continued Presence of South Africa in Namibia (South West Africa) notwithstanding Security Council Resolution 276 (1970), Advisory Opinion of 21 June 1971.
    4. ICJ, 1978, Aegean Sea Continental Shelf case), Judgment, ICJ Reports 1978.
    5. ICJ, 2001, LaGrand (Germany v. United States of America), Judgment of 27 June 2001.
    6. ICJ, 2010, Ahmadou Sadio Diallo (Republic of Guinea v. Democratic Republic of the Congo), Judgment of 30 November 2010.
    7. ICSID, 2016, Pac Rim Cayman LLC v. Republic of El Salvador, Case No. ARB/09/12, Award, 14 Oct. 2016.
    8. ICSID, 2017, Koch Minerals SARL & Koch Nitrogen Int’l SARL v. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Case No. ARB/11/19, Award, 30 Oct. 2017.
    9. ICSID, 2017, Venezuela Holdings, B.V., Mobil Cerro Negro Holding, Ltd., Mobil Venezolana de Petróleos Holdings, Inc., Mobil Cerro Negro, Ltd., & Mobil Venezolana de Petróleos, Inc. v. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Case No. ARB/07/27, Decision on Annulment, 9 Mar. 2017.
    10. IUSCT, 1985, Housing and Urban Services International, Inc., v. Iran, Final Award No 201 (22 November 1985).
    11. IUSCT, 1992, Partial Award, Award No. 529-A15 (II:A and II:B)-FT.
    12. IUSCT, 1993, Birnbaum v. Iran, Award, Award No. 549-967-2 (6 July 1993).
    13. IUSCT, 1995, Ghaffari v. Iran, Award, Award No. 565-968-2 (6 July 1995).
    14. IUSCT, 2009, Partial Award, Award No. 60l-A3/ A8/ A9/ A 14/861-FT.
    15. IUSCT, 2020, Partial Award, Award No. 604-A15 (II:A)/A26 (IV)/B43-FT.
    16. Nikbakht Fini, H. R., 2020, IUSCT, Award No. 604-A15 (II:A)/A26 (IV)/B43-FT, Separate Opinion of Judge Hamid Reza Nikbakht Fini.IUSCT, 1993, James Saghi v. Iran, Award 544-298-2 (22 Jan. 1993).
    17. Seifi, S. J., 2020, IUSCT, Award No. 604-A15 (II:A)/A26 (IV)/B43-FT, Separate Opinion of Judge Seyed Jamal Seifi Concurring in Part, Dissenting in Part.
    18. Simma, B., 2020, IUSCT, Award No. 604-A15 (II:A)/A26 (IV)/B43-FT, Partially Dissenting Opinion of Judge Bruno Simma on The Meaning of The Term "Iranian Properties".

     

    1. D) The US Executive Orders
    2. Executive Order 12170--Blocking Iranian Government property.
    3. Executive Order 12279--Direction to transfer Iranian Government assets held by domestic banks.
    4. Executive Order 12280--Direction to transfer Iranian Government financial assets held by non-banking institutions.
    5. Executive Order 12281--Direction to transfer certain Iranian Government assets.

     

    1. E) Doucuments
    2. Claims Settlement Declaration.
    3. Declaration of the Government of the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria (General Declaration), 19 January 1981.
    4. International Law Commission, 2001, Draft Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts

     

    1. F) Websites
    2. https://iusct.com
    3. https://www.archives.gov/federal-register