Procedural Background

This document is Procedural Order No. 2, issued by the ad hoc Committee in the annulment proceeding initiated by the Argentine Republic against Casinos Austria International GmbH and Casinos Austria Aktiengesellschaft. Following a pre-hearing organizational meeting held by video conference on 14 July 2023, the Committee issued this Order to establish the procedural framework and logistical arrangements for the upcoming hearing on annulment.

Hearing Organization and Logistics

The Committee directed that the hearing take place on 11 and 13 September 2023, with 12 September reserved as a preparation day for closing statements and responses to the Committee's questions. The Order allocates hearing time equally between the parties and mandates the submission of a consolidated, hyperlinked Electronic Hearing Bundle by 15 August 2023. Furthermore, the Committee established strict protocols for the use of demonstrative exhibits, requiring that they contain no new evidence and be distributed to all participants prior to their presentation.

Technical and Procedural Directives

To accommodate potential remote participation and ensure the integrity of the proceedings, the Committee mandated the use of a videoconference platform managed by World Bank technicians, alongside real-time transcription and simultaneous interpretation. The Order explicitly prohibits unauthorized audio or video recording by the parties and reserves the Committee's right to suspend the hearing should technical failures prejudice the due process rights of either party or the integrity of the annulment proceeding.