Executive Summary

Young-OGEMID conducted its twenty-first virtual symposium, The Changing Landscape of State Defence Strategies in ISDS, from 17 and 24 of November 2025. It addressed how State responses to ISDS have evolved, focusing on recent trends, the relationship with external counsel, the growing role of inter-agency coordination, and capacity building strategies.

Over the years, as the number and footprint of investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS) proceedings have expanded, States have been working in parallel to strengthen their institutional capacity to manage these matters. In many cases, States continue to retain prominent external counsel to advise and assist them. However, nowadays, more and more sovereigns are establishing dedicated governmental agencies to coordinate legal strategy and to implement a deliberate and organised approach to international dispute resolution, informed by experience and institutional learning.