Coronavirus: International contracts | Impossibility, change of circumstances, contractual provisions and investment arbitration

On 11 March 2020 the World Health Organization declared the existence of a pandemic. The main focus was to guarantee the safety of workers and employees. However, the potential repercussions for the activities of companies – in the short and medium term – are vast, complex and, in certain cases, conflicting.

In particular, measures taken around the world to combat the spread of COVID‑19 may make it more difficult or even impossible to perform certain contracts. The uncertainty caused in contract management is accentuated in international contracts, in which the policies adopted in the various countries where the contract is to be performed will have to be taken into account