Section outline

  • 6 May 2013 (Room XXII) – New generation of investment policies for sustainable development

    Foreign investment is one of the key drivers of economic development and globalization. One way in which countries worldwide seek to attract foreign direct investment is through the conclusion of international investment agreements (IIAs). More than 3,000 IIAs exist today covering around two thirds of global investment flows but at the same time constituting a complex regime with important challenges ahead in order to ensure the achievement of sustainable and inclusive development goals.

    This short course aims at raising awareness about the new UNCTAD Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development and the concrete options it offers to policymakers for the design and negotiations of IIAs that effectively promote sustainable development and inclusive growth. It proposes to strengthen the IIA development dimension through the pursuance of clear and explicit clauses, a balance of investors’ rights and obligations, including corporate social responsibility principles and the safeguarding of policy space through, among others, coherence with other public policies (for example, climate change, labour, health).

    Delivered by: Division on Investment and Enterprise Developme