Roundtables on investment and sustainable development Scheduled regularly, these roundtables focus on identifying major policy challenges and themes on investment for sustainable development. Read more   Implementation report on the PFI Recommendation 13/05/2021 - Five years after its adoption, the OECD approved a report on the implementation, dissemination and continued relevance of the Recommendation. EN | FR   G20 agrees Guiding Principles for Global Investment Policymaking 10/7/2016 - G20 Trade Ministers reinforced their "determination to promote inclusive, robust and sustainable trade and investment growth" with the endorsement of the G20 Guiding Principles for Global Investment Policymaking. Read more   2015 update of the PFI - OECD Ministers launch new framework to boost sustainable investment 4/6/2015 - The updated Policy Framework for Investment (PFI) was released at the 2015 OECD Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris. News release EN | FR | DE | ES | JP Download the OECD Council Recommendation		Download the text in English | French | Spanish Download the pocket edition of the Policy Framework for Investment Using the PFI: From Advice to Action OECD Investment Policy Reviews OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises
Perspectives on investment How can MENA governments harness the benefits of FDI Sarah Marion Dayan Foreign direct investment during the pandemic: A buffer for jobs? Fares Al-Hussami and Martin Wermelinger Can foreign direct investment improve the resilience of health systems? Iris Mantovani Can development aid enhance the resilience of investment in developing countries? Sam Mealy and Martin Wermelinger The long-term investment challenge Angel Gurría Financing for development? Show me the money Gabriela Ramos The Policy Framework for Investment: What it is, why it exists, how it’s been used and what’s new Stephen Thomsen Regional investment: Time to cooperate Carole Biau		Sectoral adaptations The Policy Framework for Investment in Agriculture   Policy Guidance for Investment in Clean Energy Infrastructure

 

About the Policy Framework for Investment

The Policy Framework for Investment (PFI) was developed in 2006 and updated in 2015. It is the most comprehensive and systematic approach for improving investment conditions ever developed. In response to new forces reshaping the global investment landscape and the numerous lessons learnt through its use over the years, the PFI has been updated to reflect new global economic fundamentals and to incorporate feedback from the international investment policy community.

 

The PFI looks at 12 different policy areas affecting investment: investment policy, investment promotion and facilitation, competition, trade, taxation, corporate governance, finance, infrastructure, developing human resources, policies to promote responsible business conduct and investment in support of green growth, and lastly broader issues of public governance. These policy areas are widely recognised, including in the Monterrey Consensus, as underpinning a healthy environment for all investors, from small- and medium-sized firms to multinational enterprises. But while the PFI looks at policies from an investor perspective, its aim is to maximise the broader development impact from investment and not simply to raise corporate profitability.

 

The PFI is neither prescriptive nor binding. It emphasises the fundamental principles of rule of law, transparency, non-discrimination and the protection of property rights but leaves for the country concerned the choice of policies, based on its economic circumstances and institutional capabilities. It helps governments to design and implement policy reforms to create a truly attractive, robust and competitive environment for domestic and foreign investment.

 

Although addressed to governments, the PFI needs to be seen in the broader context of other converging international initiatives to improve the investment climate, including the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

 
 

Who uses the PFI?

With its broad horizontal approach, the PFI assists governments engaged in domestic reform, regional co-operation or international policy dialogue on investment. It also serves as a reference point for investment promotion agencies, donors as they assist recipient country partners in improving the investment climate, and businesses, trade unions, and NGOs in their dialogue with governments.

 

In the context of OECD Investment Policy Reviews (IPRs),  the PFI has been used by close to 35 countries at varying levels of development and across all continents, as a tool for assessing investment and business climates, and for designing reforms to improve them.

 

The PFI also provides a basis for support on regional investment policy dialogue. Established regional economic communities are currently using the PFI to promote peer learning on regional investment policy and policy harmonisation among their members. Examples include the OECD Sustainable Investment Programme for Africa , the ASEAN-OECD Investment Programme. the Latin America and Caribbean Investment Initiative, the Investment Compact for Southeast Europe and the Middle East and North Africa Competitiveness Programme.