Background
1. On 26 June 2008, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID or the Centre) received a Request for Arbitration filed by Mr. Giordano Alpi and others (the Claimants) against the Argentine Republic (the Respondent).
2. The case was brought by holders of Argentine sovereign bonds alleging that the Respondent refused to honor the terms of the bonds and, thereby, breached its obligations under the Argentina-Italy BIT.1
3. On 28 July 2008, pursuant to Article 36(3) of the ICSID Convention and in accordance with Rules 6(1)(a) and 7(a) of the ICSID Institution Rules, ICSID’s Acting Secretary-General registered the Request, and on the same date, notified the parties of the registration, inviting them to constitute an arbitral tribunal as soon as possible. On 5 December 2008, the Centre informed the parties that the Arbitral Tribunal was constituted by (i) Professor Karl-Heinz Böckstiegel, a national of Germany (appointed by Claimants), (ii) Dr. Santiago Torres Bernárdez, a national of Spain (appointed by Respondent), and (iii) Judge Bruno Simma, a national of Austria and Germany (appointed by agreement of the parties), President of the Tribunal.
4. On 8 February 2013, the Tribunal issued a Decision upholding jurisdiction and taking note of the discontinuance of the proceeding of 29 Claimants, which are listed in paragraph 343 of that Decision. In light of this, the Tribunal decided to rename the case as “Ambiente Ufficio S.p.A. and others v. Argentine Republic”. On 2 May 2013, Dr. Santiago Torres Bernárdez issued a Dissenting Opinion to the Decision.
5. In accordance with Regulation 14(3)(d) of the ICSID Administrative and Financial Regulations, on 14 February 2013, the Centre requested the parties to make a seventh advance payment of USD 250,000 (two hundred and fifty thousand United States dollars) each to meet expenses in connection with the proceeding...