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ICSID
INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR SETTLEMENT OF INVESTMENT DISPUTES
1818 H STREET, NW | WASHINGTON, DC 20433 | USA
TELEPHONE +1 (202) 458 1534 | FACSIMILE +1 (202) 522 2615
WWW.WORLDBANK.ORG/ICSID
September 27, 2022
By email
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Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela c/o Dr. Reinaldo Enrique Muñoz Pedroza Viceprocurador General de la República (E) Mr. Henry Rodríguez Facchinetti Gerente General de Litigio Procuraduría General de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela Paseo Los Ilustres c/c Av. Lazo Martí Ed. Sede Procuraduría General de la República, Piso 8 Urb. Santa Mónica Caracas 1040 República Bolivariana de Venezuela and c/o Mr. Alfredo De Jesús S. De Jesús & De Jesús Edificio Magna Corp, Piso 5 Calle 51 Este y Manuel María Icaza Bella Vista City of Panamá Republic of Panama and Torre Banco del Orinoco, Piso 4 Avenida Francisco de Miranda Caracas 1060 Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and c/o Dr. Alfredo De Jesús O. Ms. Marie Thérèse Hervella Ms. Eloisa Falcón López Mr. Pierre Daureu Alfredo De Jesús O. – Transnational Arbitration, Litigation & Business Law 20, rue Quentin Bauchart 75008 Paris France and c/o Mr. George Kahale, III Mr. Benard Preziosi, Jr. |
ConocoPhillips Petrozuata B.V., ConocoPhillips Hamaca B.V. and ConocoPhillips Gulf of Paria B.V. c/o Ms. Laura M. Robertson Arbitration Deputy General Counsel Ms. Suzana M. Blades Associate General Counsel Mr. Alberto Ravell Senior Legal Counsel Mr. Fernando Avila-Bavaresco Senior Legal Counsel ConocoPhillips Company 925 N. Eldridge Pkwy. Houston, Texas United States of America and c/o Mr. Elliot Friedman Mr. Sam Prevatt Mr. Lee Rovinescu Ms. Madeline Snider Mr. Cameron Russell Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP 601 Lexington Avenue, 31st Floor New York, NY 10022 United States of America and c/o Mr. Jan Paulsson Mr. Luke Sobota Mr. Mihir Chattopadhyay Three Crowns LLP 3000 K Street NW, Suite 101 Washington, D.C. 20007-5109 United States of America and c/o Mr. Constantine Partasides Three Crowns LLP New Fetter Place 8-10 New Fetter Lane London EC4A 1AZ United Kingdom and |
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Ms. Arianna Sanchez Ms. Simon N. Batifort Mr. Kevin A. Meehan Ms. Irene Petrelli Mr. Enrique Urdaneta Cordido-Freytes Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP 101 Park Avenue New York, NY 10178 United States of America |
c/o D. Brian King New York University School of Law 40 Washington Square South New York, NY 10012 United States of America |
Re: ConocoPhillips Petrozuata B.V., ConocoPhillips Hamaca B.V. and ConocoPhillips Gulf of Paria B.V. v. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (ICSID Case No. ARB/07/30)
Dear Mesdames and Sirs,
I refer to the Proposal for the Disqualification of Judge Hascher and Professor Fernández Arroyo filed on June 12, 2022 by De Jesús Law Firm on behalf of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (the “Proposal”).
The Proposal was submitted pursuant to Articles 14 and 57 of the ICSID Convention and ICSID Arbitration Rule 9. Pursuant to Article 57, a party may propose the disqualification of an arbitrator on account of any fact indicating a manifest lack of the qualities required by Article 14(1).
Pursuant to Article 58 of the Convention and Arbitration Rule 9, the Chair of the ICSID Administrative Council shall decide the Proposal.
On July 22, 2022, the Centre informed the parties of my decision to seek a recommendation on the Proposal from Judge Ian Binnie, former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. The Centre confirmed that the final decision on the Proposal would be taken by the Chair of the ICSID Administrative Council in accordance with Article 58 of the ICSID Convention.
The parties have been given a full opportunity to present their positions on this matter. The Centre provided Judge Binnie with copies of all parties’ submissions on the Proposal and the explanations furnished by Judge Hascher and Professor Fernández Arroyo.
The Centre received the recommendation from Judge Binnie on September 16, 2022. A copy of the recommendation is attached.
I have carefully considered the Proposal, having regard to the parties’ written arguments, the explanations furnished by Judge Hascher and Professor Fernández Arroyo, and the recommendation from Judge Binnie. Based on these materials, I have concluded
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that the Proposal does not meet the standard for disqualification set forth in Article 57 of the ICSID Convention.
Accordingly, the Proposal is hereby rejected.
Yours sincerely,
Signature
David Malpass
Chairman of the Administrative Council
Attachment
cc:
Judge Dominique Hascher
Professor Diego P. Fernández Arroyo
Mr. Lawrence Boo