Iniciativa Conjunta sobre Facilitación de las Inversiones para el Desarrollo de la OMC: Avances desde 2022 y el camino hacia la CM13

The document provides a detailed analysis of the draft Agreement on Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD), which is being negotiated by over 110 WTO members. It breaks down the agreement into seven sections: scope and general principles, transparency, administrative streamlining, coordination and cooperation, special and differential treatment for developing countries, sustainable investment, and institutional provisions. The report highlights significant progress made in 2022, such as the consensus on foreign direct investment (FDI) as a core focus and the inclusion of home-state transparency measures. However, it identifies several pending issues, including the definition of 'enterprise', the treatment of e-commerce measures, and the specific timelines for developing countries to implement obligations. It also discusses three potential legal architectures for integrating the IFD into the WTO framework: as a multilateral agreement (Annex 1), a plurilateral agreement (Annex 4), or through coordinated lists in existing GATT and GATS agreements.

• More than 110 WTO Members, representing over two-thirds of the organization, are negotiating a new agreement to improve the business and investment climate, specifically to benefit developing countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
• The agreement's primary objectives are to increase transparency of investment measures, streamline administrative procedures, and adopt other investment facilitation measures to encourage foreign direct investment (FDI).
• A key point of contention remains whether the agreement should apply broadly to measures that 'affect' investments or more narrowly to measures 'relating to' investments.
• The agreement includes a 'separation' provision to prevent the IFD obligations from being used to interpret obligations in other international investment agreements (IIAs) or as a basis for investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) claims.
• Members have agreed to publish information on general investment measures and are encouraged to use a single information portal to provide details on processes, forms, and fees without charging for access.
• The agreement mandates that authorization procedures be reasonable, objective, and impartial, and includes specific requirements for the treatment of incomplete or rejected applications.
• Developing countries and LDCs are granted special and differential treatment based on the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) model, categorizing commitments into Category A (unconditional), B (transition period), and C (requiring technical assistance).
• The agreement promotes 'sustainable investment' by encouraging companies to voluntarily adopt internationally recognized responsible business conduct principles and requiring states to combat corruption.
• There is an ongoing debate regarding the creation of an Investment Facilitation Mechanism to manage voluntary contributions and support developing countries with needs assessments.
• Negotiators are considering three legal integration paths: a multilateral agreement in Annex 1 (requiring all 164 WTO members), a plurilateral agreement in Annex 4 (applying only to signatories), or a coordinated list of commitments within existing GATT and GATS frameworks.

APA

Jose, R. (2023). Iniciativa Conjunta sobre Facilitación de las Inversiones para el Desarrollo de la OMC: Avances desde 2022 y el camino hacia la CM13. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-03/joint-initiative-investment-facilitation-mc13-es.pdf

Chicago

Jose, Rashmi. Iniciativa Conjunta sobre Facilitación de las Inversiones para el Desarrollo de la OMC: Avances desde 2022 y el camino hacia la CM13. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2023. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-03/joint-initiative-investment-facilitation-mc13-es.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jose |first1=Rashmi |title=Iniciativa Conjunta sobre Facilitación de las Inversiones para el Desarrollo de la OMC: Avances desde 2022 y el camino hacia la CM13 |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=February 2023 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-03/joint-initiative-investment-facilitation-mc13-es.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jose2023iniciativa, author = {Jose, Rashmi}, title = {{Iniciativa Conjunta sobre Facilitación de las Inversiones para el Desarrollo de la OMC: Avances desde 2022 y el camino hacia la CM13}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2023-03/joint-initiative-investment-facilitation-mc13-es.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }