OECD Forum for International Investment: FDI and the Environment - Lessons to be Learned from the Mining Sector

7-8 February 2002. Paris, France.

As a follow-up to a conference on "Foreign Direct Investment and the Environment", held in The Hague in January 1999, the OECD organised a major conference to focus on the mining sector under the umbrella of the Global Forum on International Investment.

This conference aimed to shed further light on the broader linkages between FDI and the environment in a sector that is of particular importance for the economy in many developing countries, and where environmental concerns have frequently been voiced. It used the focus on the mining sector to derive broader lessons for the FDI - environment linkage. Discussion focused on how best to integrate environmental and investment goals, ensure that environmental protection and investment liberalisation are mutually supportive and explore the significance of voluntary business approaches in encouraging 'best environmental practice'.

Following on from this conference, the OECD provided input to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in September 2002.

For further information and documentation from the conference, see the conference proceedings or visit the conference website.