This module provides an introduction to the mechanisms and methods of international dispute settlement. It examines the nature of international disputes and the law, techniques and institutions of dispute settlement. The module also explores comparatively the key procedural issues that have been addressed before different international courts and tribunals. In addition, the module examines the major challenges and controversies in international adjudication, stemming from the multiplication of international adjudicative bodies, the so-called fragmentation of international law, from judicial law-making, and from the impact of politics on the functioning of international courts and tribunals. Finally, as the focus is on disputes in which at least one party is a state entity, the module discusses litigation by non-state actors, especially foreign investors against states and the role of international dispute settlement in economic governance.