Electronic consultation on investor-state dispute settlement  16 May - 9 July 2012 Governments participating in the FOI Roundtable are seeking input on a scoping paper prepared by the OECD Secretariat to support their discussions on investor-state dispute settlement.

 

Recent releases Inventory of investment measures between November 2011 and February 2012 (PDF) 6th Report on G20 trade and investment measures (PDF) Speech on regulatory reforms, investment regimes and institutional investors, OECD Deputy Secretary-General Richard Boucher, May 2011 Environmental concerns in international investment agreements: a survey, OECD Working Paper on International Investment, No. 2011/1

 

International investment spurs prosperity and economic development in home and recipient countries. Policy coordination helps governments resist protectionist pressures and to develop effective policies to respond to genuine concerns raised by international investment.   The Freedom of Investment process, an intergovernmental forum hosted since 2006 by the OECD Investment Committee, brings together some 50 governments from around the world to exchange information and experiences on investment policies at regular roundtables (summary reports). Here, governments develop guidance for open, transparent and non-discriminatory investment policies. Unbiased policy monitoring and analysis support accountability and frank and open exchange.

Professor Jagdish Bhagwati of Columbia University talks about trade, economic recovery and the dangers of protectionism

Setting standards and developing guidelines

Co-operation requires common understanding of policy measures and objectives. The Freedom of Investment roundtables foster this understanding by developing standards that reflect partners’ expectations and good policy practices. These standards promote openness, transparency and non-discrimination and responsible conduct by both governments and investors.  

• Harnessing Freedom of Investment for Green Growth 

• Guidelines for Recipient Country Investment Policies relating to National Security (2009)

• Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) - OECD Declaration and Guidance (2008)

Investment policy monitoring

Informed dialogue on investment policy requires unbiased, comprehensive and reliable information. Independent policy monitoring by the OECD provides policymakers and investors with up-to-date information on the preparation or introduction of new policies in countries that take part in the process. 

Acknowledging the roundtables’ established investment policy monitoring, G20 Leaders gave OECD a mandate to track policy developments and to report, with WTO and UNCTAD, on observance of G20 commitments to openness.
 

Research and analysis

Research and comparative analysis help to foster better policy design and implementation.

Identification of foreign investors: A fact finding survey of investment review procedures, May 2010

Responsible investment in agriculture, May 2010 

Foreign state immunity and foreign government controlled investors, April 2010 

Security-Related Terms in International Investment Law and in National Security Strategies, 2009 

Foreign government-controlled investors and recipient country investment policies: a scoping paper, 2009 

Competition law and foreign-government controlled investors, 2009 

Accountability for security-related investment policies, 2008 

Protection of 'critical infrastructure' and role of investment policies relating to national security, 2008 

Transparency and predictability for investment policies addressing essential security interests: a survey of practices, 2008 

Proportionality of security-related investment instruments: A survey of practices, 2008 

Competition, international investment and energy security, 2008 

Economic and other impacts of foreign corporate takeovers in OECD countries, 2007 

Essential security interests under international investment law, 2007
  

OECD investment instruments

• OECD Declaration and Decisions on International Investment and Multinational Enterprises
   
• National Treatment Instrument
   
• OECD Codes of Liberalisation of Capital Movements and of Current Invisible Operations

 

Permanent url: www.oecd.org/daf/investment/foi