CEDR Masterclass Webinar
Investor-State Mediation: When Power, Politics and Investment Collide
Join ICSID Chief Counsel Frauke Nitschke and international mediator Birgit Sambeth for a candid, interview-style conversation on mediating investor-state and governance disputes. Drawing on real cases, they will explore how mediation works when sovereign interests, political pressure and investment protection collide, and what it takes to find a path to resolution.
Date - 27th October 2026
Time - 17:30 - 19:00
Location - Online (via Zoom platform)
Cost: Free to attend
.webp?width=1000&height=667&name=CEDR-GHRF-Day3-LeadershipSummit-Trainer-addresses-class%20(1).webp)
The Context
What happens when a dispute is no longer simply between two parties, but involves governments, investors, political interests and institutional power?
Join us for a candid and practical conversation with Frauke Nitschke, Chief Counsel at ICSID, and internationally recognised mediator Birgit Sambeth, exploring the evolving role of mediation in investor-state and governance disputes.
In an interview-style webinar, Frauke and Birgit will draw on their experience to discuss practical cases, challenges and lessons learned. They will explore what happens behind the scenes when sovereign interests, investment protection, political pressure and commercial realities collide, and how skilled neutrals can help create a path towards resolution.
Why Attend?
.webp?width=1000&height=563&name=CEDR-3-Mediation-Professionals-Debate-at-a-tall-desk%20(2).webp)
What We Will Explore
- When does mediation add value in an investor-state dispute?
- How do you mediate when one party represents a government or sovereign state?
- How do political and institutional pressures affect the mediation process?
- What makes these disputes particularly difficult to resolve?
- What can mediators and lawyers learn from cases where the stakes extend far beyond the parties themselves?
- What does the future hold for investor-state mediation and conciliation?
%20Small.png?height=2000&name=Frauke%20Nitschke%20(4)%20Small.png)
Frauke is Chief Counsel at ICSID (World Bank Group), joining the organisation in 2003. Frauke leads ICSID’s investor-State mediation activities, including the drafting of the ICSID Mediation Rules and amendments to ICSID’s conciliation frameworks. Frauke has conducted investment mediation skills trainings for mediators and government officials.
Frauke regularly speaks at international conferences on investment mediation and recently chaired ICSID’s Investment Mediation Insights seminars.
Prior to joining ICSID, Frauke served in the World Bank’s Legal Vice Presidency and the Inspection Panel.
Frauke is a CEDR-Accredited Mediator and admitted to the D.C. and New York State Bar. She holds a law degree from the Freie Universität Berlin, an LLM from Georgetown University Law Center, and a master’s degree in psychology from the FernUniversität Hagen.
Birgit practises as an official ICSID Mediator and ICSID Conciliator, bringing her extensive experience in mediation and dispute resolution to international investment and cross-border disputes.
As Co-Head of the Dispute Resolution Team at Altenburger and a former Deputy Judge, Birgit combines extensive legal expertise with deep mediation experience. She is widely respected for her strategic approach to conflict resolution and her ability to guide parties through complex commercial and personal disputes while preserving important relationships where possible.