On 4 June 2003, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (“ICSID” or “the Centre”) received from Bernadus Henricus Funnekotter and others, a request for arbitration, dated 30 May 2003, against the Republic of Zimbabwe (“Zimbabwe” or the “Respondent”). The Claimants, who were said to include natural persons and other entities, were also identified as variously having Dutch and Italian nationalities.