The article examines the theoretical foundations and operational techniques of the unification of law in both broad and narrow senses, with particular attention to investment regulation and the objectives of economic integration. It distinguishes between direct and indirect unification through international treaties and argues that harmonization of legislation, as a form of unification, best secures coordinated public-law regulation while preserving states’ regulatory flexibility. The analysis identifies the limits of model acts within the CIS for timely coordination of external economic policy and highlights the advantages of principle-based harmonization. It underscores the methodological significance of universal instruments—the 1958 New York Convention and the 1965 ICSID Convention—in ensuring recognition and enforcement as well as effective settlement of investment disputes under ICSID. Criteria are proposed for choosing between model legislation and harmonization, considering openness to third states, removal of barriers to cooperation, and maintenance of principle-level uniformity. The practice of the Hagu Conference on Private International Law is noted as a reference point for further convergence of legal systems within the EAEU and the CIS.
Dmitry Semenovich Belkin (Tue,) studied this question.