Conclusion

This concluding chapter synthesizes the book’s comprehensive analysis of international investment law from a Caribbean perspective, emphasising the urgent need for fundamental reform of a system characterised by structural asymmetries and colonial continuities. The analysis demonstrates how Caribbean states, despite collectively negotiating over 75 investment agreements, remain vulnerable to ‘imposed bilateralism’ and regulatory chill that constrains democratic governance. The book reveals significant jurisprudential inconsistencies across key protection standards – from jurisdiction requirements and non-discrimination principles to expropriation guarantees and fair equitable treatment – that create unpredictable legal environments particularly disadvantageous to small island developing states. While acknowledging the UNCITRAL Working Group III reform initiatives, the conclusion argues that comprehensive transformation of both procedural frameworks and substantive investment standards is essential to rebalance investor-state relations, preserve regulatory space for legitimate public interest measures, and establish meaningful investor obligations corresponding to their extensive protections.