Projet de cadre multilatéral pour la facilitation de l’investissement : Analyse de sa relation avec le commerce international et les accords d’investissement

The report examines the technical and legal implications of the proposed Multilateral Framework on Investment Facilitation (MFIF) within the WTO. It identifies significant overlaps between the MFIF and the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), as well as potential conflicts with the existing regime of International Investment Agreements (IIAs). The analysis warns that despite explicit exclusions of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) from the MFIF, the framework's disciplines could still be invoked in ISDS tribunals through 'umbrella clauses,' Fair and Equitable Treatment (FET) standards, and Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) clauses found in IIAs.

• The scope of the proposed MFIF is currently difficult to determine due to inconsistent approaches across its provisions, though it appears very broad and potentially covers all 'measures of general application' concerning foreign direct investment (FDI).
• The MFIF's focus on FDI in both service and non-service sectors extends its reach beyond the GATS, creating obligations for measures that exceed current WTO member commitments.
• There is substantial overlap between the MFIF and the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on Services Domestic Regulation, particularly regarding authorization procedures, fees, and the independence of competent authorities.
• The MFIF's transparency and administration obligations are largely 'GATS+', meaning they expand upon existing GATS requirements by adding specific details on publication timelines, justifications, and electronic portals.
• The MFIF adopts a 'category-based' approach to special and differential treatment for developing countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), similar to the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, rather than the GATS's 'bottom-up' approach of specific commitments.
• The MFIF currently lacks concrete means to advance sustainable development, with sustainability mentioned primarily in the preamble and a voluntary provision on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
• The Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) clause in the MFIF could lead to the 'multilateralization' of obligations from Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), potentially extending favorable treatment to all WTO members regardless of whether they ratified the MFIF.
• Despite the MFIF's explicit statement that it does not cover investment protection or ISDS, its disciplines could be used in ISDS tribunals via 'umbrella clauses' (clauses générales) found in 43% of IIAs.
• The Fair and Equitable Treatment (FET) standard in IIAs could be interpreted by tribunals to include violations of MFIF disciplines, as these commitments may create 'legitimate expectations' for investors.
• The absence of a National Treatment (NT) clause in the MFIF means members could potentially apply more favorable procedures to domestic investors than to foreign investors, which might undermine the benefits of the MFN clause.

APA

Bernasconi-Osterwalder, N., Campos, S. L., & van der Ven, C. (2020). Projet de cadre multilatéral pour la facilitation de l’investissement : Analyse de sa relation avec le commerce international et les accords d’investissement. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-02/multilateral-framework-investment-facilitation-fr.pdf

Chicago

Bernasconi-Osterwalder, Nathalie, Soledad Leal Campos, and Colette van der Ven. Projet de cadre multilatéral pour la facilitation de l’investissement : Analyse de sa relation avec le commerce international et les accords d’investissement. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-02/multilateral-framework-investment-facilitation-fr.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Bernasconi-Osterwalder |first1=Nathalie |last2=Campos |first2=Soledad Leal |last3=van der Ven |first3=Colette |title=Projet de cadre multilatéral pour la facilitation de l’investissement : Analyse de sa relation avec le commerce international et les accords d’investissement |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=September 2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-02/multilateral-framework-investment-facilitation-fr.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{bernasconiosterwalder2020projet, author = {Bernasconi-Osterwalder, Nathalie and Campos, Soledad Leal and van der Ven, Colette}, title = {{Projet de cadre multilatéral pour la facilitation de l’investissement : Analyse de sa relation avec le commerce international et les accords d’investissement}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-02/multilateral-framework-investment-facilitation-fr.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }