UNCITRAL Days in Warsaw
UNCITRAL marks its 60th anniversary in 2026, and this seminar, held within the UNCITRAL Days initiative, focuses on the harmonization of international trade law
and the ongoing reform of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS).
From Harmonized Trade Law Frameworks to ISDS Reform
Ladies and Gentlemen,
it is my great pleasure to invite you to a seminar held in the framework of the UNCITRAL Days events, dedicated to the role of UNCITRAL in the progressive harmonization and modernization of international trade law.
The meeting will take place at the Warsaw School of Economics
5 May 2026
from ...... PM
Building G, Auditorium V
and online via MS Teams
The discussion will feature:
Ms. Nikola Kovacikova, Associate Legal Officer, UNCITRAL Secretariat
Prof. Domenico Pauciulo, Department of Political and Social Sciences, University of Trieste, Italy
I cordially invite you,
Łukasz Dawid Dąbrowski
Assistant Professor, Institute of World Economy
SGH Warsaw School of Economics
About the Seminar
This UNCITRAL Days seminar is an academic event dedicated to the role of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law in the progressive harmonization and modernization of international trade law. The seminar aims to raise awareness of UNCITRAL legal instruments and their practical relevance for academics, students, policymakers and practitioners engaged in international economic law.
UNCITRAL Days events are academic gatherings organized by universities and institutions to discuss developments in UNCITRAL’s areas of work and to promote understanding of legal harmonization in international trade law.
The seminar will combine a general institutional session on UNCITRAL’s mandate and legal texts with a specialized session focused on the reform of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS), reflecting UNCITRAL’s ongoing work, particularly in Working Group III.
Concept and Academic Relevance
International trade law traditionally operates within the sphere of private law, regulating cross-border commercial transactions, arbitration, insolvency, and electronic commerce. However, Investor-State Dispute Settlement represents a hybrid legal regime situated between private and public law, involving disputes between private investors and sovereign States.
This seminar explores that evolution — from harmonized private trade law frameworks to the reform of ISDS as a mechanism combining elements of international arbitration, public international law and global economic governance.
UNCITRAL Days in Warsaw
Programme
Opening Remarks (about 5-10 min.)
PART I. - Duration: about 1 hour (general)
1. UNCITRAL: Mandate, areas of work and UNCITRAL texts
Key themes:
Establishment by UNGA Resolution 2205 (XXI) (1966)
UNCITRAL’s mandate
Difference between UNCITRAL and WTO (public vs. private international trade law)
Areas of work
Membership
Consensus-based law-making in a diverse geopolitical environment
2. UNCITRAL in discharging its mandate: Organization of work and inclusiveness
Key themes:
Role of the Commission and Working Groups
Role of the Secretariat
Participation of Member States, observer States, IGOs and NGOs
Engagement of developed, developing and least developed countries
Representation of the world’s various geographic regions and its principal economic and legal systems
Expert-driven negotiations
Constructive technical dialogue among delegations
3. UNCITRAL’s flagship texts in the area of international commercial arbitration and their global impact
Key themes:
The New York Convention as the cornerstone of the enforcement of arbitral awards
The UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration
UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules
PART II. - Duration: about 1 hour (specialized)
Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS)
4. UNCITRAL Working Group III and the ISDS Reform
Key themes:
Origins of the ISDS Reform process
The work on transparency in treaty-based ISDS: differences between international commercial and investment arbitration
Identified concerns: consistency, high costs, duration, legitimacy of the ISDS proceedings
Role of States and observers in consensus-driven reform
5. Reform elements developed by Working Group III to address the concerns
Key themes:
Code of Conduct for Arbitrators and Judges (2023)
Advisory Centre on International Investment Dispute Resolution (2024)
Mediation and alternative dispute resolution in investment disputes
Possible future institutional mechanisms (standing bodies / appellate structures)
Procedural Rules reform
State’s right to regulate and the policy space
Multilateral instrument to implement the various reform elements
PART III. - Duration: about 20 min.
6. Concluding Roundtable and Q&A
All speakers are invited to provide brief final remarks on:
The future of ISDS Reform within UNCITRAL
The role of technical legal harmonization in global economic stability
I warmly invite policymakers, academics, legal practitioners, business leaders, and students to join us for this important discussion.
Łukasz Dawid Dąbrowski
Assistant Professor, Institute of World Economy
SGH Warsaw School of Economics
Attorny-at-law
Biogram SGH -Link
ORCID:Link
Are you looking for a thesis topic that not only meets academic requirements but also engages with real-world issues?
The scope of the proposed topics covers issues of significance from the perspective of contemporary economic, legal, and social processes, examined in both national and international contexts.
🌍 International Trade and International Trade Law
Analysis of the mechanisms shaping the global exchange of goods and services, as well as the legal frameworks underpinning the functioning of contemporary international markets.
💼 Foreign Trade and Foreign Trade Law
Examination of economic relations between states, with particular focus on trade exchange, customs barriers, and legal regulations affecting the movement of goods and services.
🤝 Foreign Investments and International Investment Agreements
Analysis of investment protection systems, the scope of state obligations and investor rights, as well as dispute resolution mechanisms through international arbitration.
👷 Employment in National and International Contexts
Comparative study of labour law regulations across various jurisdictions, encompassing both domestic norms and standards derived from international legal instruments.
🔐 Digitalization - Cybersecurity
Legal and organisational aspects of digitisation, cybersecurity, data protection and international cooperation in the field of information and communication security.
📈 Regulated Markets – Mechanisms and Challenges
Characteristics of markets subject to special legal regimes, including electronic communications, energy, transport, and other strategic sectors.
💡 Significance of Addressing the Selected Issues
Conducting a thesis in one of the proposed areas allows for:
deepening specialist knowledge in the chosen field of study,
developing skills in identifying and interpreting complex legal and economic problems,
relating research findings to real processes shaping contemporary economic, political, and social life.
Szukasz tematu pracy dyplomowej, który nie tylko spełnia wymagania akademickie, ale także dotyczy rzeczywistych problemów?
Zakres proponowanych tematów obejmuje zagadnienia istotne z perspektywy współczesnych procesów gospodarczych, prawnych i społecznych, analizowanych w ujęciu krajowym oraz międzynarodowym.
🌍 Handel międzynarodowy i prawo handlu międzynarodowego
Analiza mechanizmów kształtujących globalny obrót towarami i usługami oraz regulacji prawnych stanowiących podstawę funkcjonowania współczesnych rynków międzynarodowych.
💼 Handel zagraniczny i prawo handlu zagranicznego
Badanie relacji gospodarczych między państwami, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem wymiany handlowej, barier celnych oraz regulacji prawnych wpływających na przepływ towarów i usług.
🤝 Inwestycje zagraniczne i międzynarodowe umowy inwestycyjne
Analiza systemów ochrony inwestycji, zakresu zobowiązań państw oraz praw inwestorów, a także mechanizmów rozstrzygania sporów w drodze arbitrażu międzynarodowego.
👷 Świadczenie pracy w ujęciu krajowym i międzynarodowym
Porównawcze ujęcie regulacji prawa pracy w różnych jurysdykcjach, obejmujące zarówno normy krajowe, jak i standardy wynikające z aktów prawa międzynarodowego.
🔐 Cyfryzacja - cyberbezpieczeństwo
Ujęcie prawne i organizacyjne cyfryzacji, digitalizacji, cyberbezpieczeństwa, ochrony danych oraz współpracy międzynarodowej w zakresie bezpieczeństwa teleinformatycznego.
📈 Rynki regulowane – mechanizmy i wyzwania
Charakterystyka funkcjonowania rynków podlegających szczególnym reżimom prawnym, rynku komunikacji elektronicznej, energii lub transportu, i innych sektorów strategicznych.
💡 Znaczenie podjęcia wskazanej problematyki
Realizacja pracy dyplomowej w wybranym obszarze umożliwia:
pogłębienie wiedzy specjalistycznej w zakresie analizowanych zagadnień,
rozwinięcie umiejętności identyfikacji oraz interpretacji złożonych problemów prawnych i gospodarczych,
odniesienie treści badawczych do realnych procesów kształtujących współczesne życie gospodarcze, polityczne i społeczne.
