联合国贸易发展委员会-国际投资协定中的投资便利化：趋势和政策选择（英）-2023.9-16页_2mb

Investment Facilitation in International Investment Agreements: Trends and Policy Options Summary

International investment agreements (IIAs) are evolving to include more investment facilitation features, which aim to promote and simplify investment processes. Trends show an increase in transparency, regulatory improvements, and cooperation mechanisms since 2015.

Key advancements include:

• Over half of recent IIAs include transparency requirements for investment measures.
• Cooperation mechanisms in over 70% of post-2020 IIAs help foster lasting partnerships.
• Stakeholder engagement and sustainability commitments are growing, but many IIAs lack depth in these areas.

Challenges remain, such as insufficient focus on sustainable investment and inadequate technical assistance for developing countries. Current IIAs often prioritize protection over facilitation, posing risks if not properly managed.

UNCTAD recommends policy options to leverage IIAs for sustainable development:

• Incorporate proactive facilitation commitments targeting priority SDG sectors.
• Strengthen cooperation and technical assistance for developing partners.
• Use firewall provisions to insulate facilitation features from dispute settlement.
• Enhance stakeholder engagement to ensure inclusive and effective implementation.

Despite progress, more is needed to operationalize these features, promote sustainable investment channels, and ensure technical support where needed.