While the dispute settlement system of the World Trade Organization (WTO) is under stress and demands for reform are increasingly voiced, members still use the WTO to discuss new rules. In this context, a group of more than 90 economies are engaged in so called structured discussions on investment facilitation for development. On 11 December 2019, DIE co-organised an expert workshop at the premises of the WTO in Geneva on the opportunities and challenges of establishing an international framework on investment facilitation for development together with the Bertelsmann Stiftung, International Trade Centre and World Economic Forum. Among the participants were WTO delegates, representatives of Investment Promotion Agencies, academia, the private sector, NGOs, and intergovernmental organisations. The expert workshop helped to identify key measures that governments can take to facilitate investment flows into developing economies and, especially, investment flows that contribute as much as possible to sustainable development.
Learn more about investment facilitation and its potential role for sustainable development.