Investment Facilitation: History and the latest developments in the structured discussions

The document examines the efforts of 98 WTO Members to establish a multilateral framework for investment facilitation. It traces the issue from the 'Singapore issues' of the 1990s to the 2017 Joint Ministerial Statement in Buenos Aires. The brief analyzes the July 2019 Working Document, which proposes articles on transparency, administrative streamlining, non-discrimination, and special and differential treatment, while explicitly excluding market access and investor-state dispute settlement.

• A joint initiative involving 98 WTO Members is working toward a multilateral framework for investment facilitation, which is explicitly designed to exclude "market access, investment protection, and investor-state dispute settlement".
• The July 2019 Working Document proposes a framework organized into seven sections, including a Preamble and 29 articles. It focuses on areas of convergence such as transparency, the reduction of administrative procedures, and the use of electronic systems like Single Electronic Windows.
• The proposed framework includes options for non-discrimination, with one alternative guaranteeing most-favoured-nation (MFN) treatment and another proposing a non-impairment obligation that would effectively provide post-establishment investment protection.
• Special and differential treatment (S&DT) for developing countries and LDCs is addressed through two proposed approaches: one based on varying transition periods and another using a "category-style approach" similar to the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA).
• The framework considers cross-cutting issues including corporate social responsibility (CSR), anti-corruption measures, and specific support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
• The history of investment in the WTO began with the "Singapore issues" in 1996, but the topic remained largely dormant after 2004 until the 2017 Buenos Aires conference.

APA

Baliño, S., Brauch, M. D., & Jose, R. (2020). Investment Facilitation: History and the latest developments in the structured discussions. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/investment-facilitation.pdf

Chicago

Baliño, Sofía, Martin Dietrich Brauch, and Rashmi Jose. Investment Facilitation: History and the latest developments in the structured discussions. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/investment-facilitation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Baliño |first1=Sofía |last2=Brauch |first2=Martin Dietrich |last3=Jose |first3=Rashmi |title=Investment Facilitation: History and the latest developments in the structured discussions |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=January 2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/investment-facilitation.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{balio2020investment, author = {Baliño, Sofía and Brauch, Martin Dietrich and Jose, Rashmi}, title = {{Investment Facilitation: History and the latest developments in the structured discussions}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, month = jan, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/investment-facilitation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }