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International Arbitration Forum

United Agencies Limited SA, Mediterranean Shipping Company Algérie SARL and Maghrebine des Transports & Auxiliaires SARL v. People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, ICSID Case No. ARB/23/30

Case summary

At a glance

Parties
United Agencies Limited SA, Mediterranean Shipping Company Algérie SARL and Maghrébine des Transports & Auxiliaires SARL v. People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Case no.
ICSID Case No. ARB/23/30
Forum and rules
ICSID Convention; ICSID Arbitration Rules 2022; place of proceeding Paris; language French
Treaty
Algeria–Switzerland BIT of 30 November 2004
Tribunal
Jan Paulsson (President), Maxi Scherer, Hamid Gharavi
Outcome
Procedural only: the published documents are Procedural Orders Nos. 1 and 2 of 29 February 2024 and do not show the outcome.
Amount
Not stated. Advances: ICSID asked the claimants for USD 150,000 on 26 July 2023, then asked the parties for USD 300,000 on 3 January 2024.

The dispute

Three companies brought an ICSID claim against Algeria under the 2004 Algeria–Switzerland investment treaty: United Agencies Limited SA, Mediterranean Shipping Company Algérie SARL and Maghrébine des Transports & Auxiliaires SARL. The published documents are two procedural orders. They do not describe the investment, the measures challenged, the claims or Algeria's defences. They record the procedural framework. The law applicable to the case is the treaty, the ICSID Convention and the relevant principles of international law. The proceeding is conducted in French, and Paris is the place of the proceeding.

Key holdings

  1. The 2022 ICSID Arbitration Rules apply. The Tribunal was constituted on 3 January 2024, and the parties confirmed they had no objection to any member's appointment. PO1 §§ 1.1, 2.1
  2. The parties agreed on Paris, France, as the place of the proceeding. French is the language of the proceeding. PO1 §§ 10.1, 11.1
  3. The applicable law is the Algeria–Switzerland BIT of 30 November 2004, the ICSID Convention and the relevant principles of international law. PO1 § 27.1
  4. The parties did not consent to publication of the award, so ICSID will publish only excerpts under Rule 62(4). ICSID will publish orders and decisions, with redactions agreed by the parties or decided by the Tribunal. PO2 ¶¶ 11–12
  5. ICSID will not publish the pleadings, supporting documents, transcripts or recordings. Hearings will not be open to the public. A 60-day procedure applies to requests to redact confidential or protected information. PO2 ¶¶ 15–25
  6. Under the procedural calendar, the Reply is due on 20 February 2025 and the Rejoinder on 22 May 2025. The pre-hearing conference is set for 5 June 2025 and the hearing for 23–27 June 2025. PO1 Annex B

Procedural history

  1. 26 July 2023After registering the Request for Arbitration, ICSID asks the claimants for an advance of USD 150,000. It receives the payment on 21 August 2023.
  2. 3 January 2024The Tribunal is constituted. ICSID asks the parties for USD 300,000.
  3. 15 February 2024First session held by video-conference.
  4. 29 February 2024Procedural Order No. 1 sets out the procedural rules and calendar.
  5. 29 February 2024Procedural Order No. 2 sets out the rules on transparency and confidentiality.
  6. 23–27 June 2025Hearing scheduled under the procedural calendar.

Tribunal, counsel and experts

Decided by
For the claimant
ABS Avocats · Yannick Augène Anselme
For the respondent
Baker & McKenzie · Agence Judiciaire du Trésor (Ministry of Finance of Algeria)

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Keywords

Summary generated with AI from the published documents — refer to the award for the authoritative text.

Case ID
United Agencies Limited SA, Mediterranean Shipping Company Algérie SARL and , ICSID Case No. ARB/23/30
Country
Economic sector
Treaty
Switzerland - Algeria BIT (2004)
Section