Negotiations on a multilateral framework on investment facilitation for development will start in the World Trade Organization (WTO) among 101 WTO members as soon as circumstances permit. The main objective of the negotiations is to increase the flow of sustainable foreign direct investment with a view towards advancing sustainable development.

This webinar was held in the framework of a joint ITC/DIE project on Investment Facilitation for Development. It discussed a number of issues that need to be considered during the negotiations concerning how such a framework would have to be implemented to meet its objective.
 
The webinar was conducted in an interactive manner and allowed questions by participants.

Introduction

• Marion Jansen, Director and Chief Economist, ITC

Moderator

Karl P. Sauvant, Resident Senior Fellow, Columbia University, CCSI

The panel

• The state of play of the Structured Discussions: Ambassador Mathias Francke of Chile, Coordinator of the Structured Discussions on Investment Facilitation for Development
• The lay of the land: the adoption of investment facilitation measures in countries: Axel Berger, Senior Researcher, DIE
• The role of special and differential treatment: Bernard Hoekman, Professor, European University Institute
• The role of technical assistance and capacity building: Anabel González, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics
• Institutional arrangements: Committee on Investment Facilitation: Alexandre Guido Lopes Parola, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the WTO