21 Mar 2025
Books/ Book Chapters
Polanco, Rodrigo
Investment Facilitation Provisions in International Investment Agreements and the Multilateral Framework on Investment Facilitation for Development
This chapter examines how the multilateral discussion on a multilateral framework on Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) currently taking place at the World Trade Organization (WTO) differs from provisions on the same topic found in existing international investment agreements (IIAs).
For that purpose, it defines investment facilitation and presents its main elements and a typology of its more common provisions. The chapter then reviews existing IIAs that include investment facilitation provisions, identifying regulatory convergence (or lack thereof) across them. Finally, it discusses whether there is an added value of the IFD compared to existing IIAs and if there is room for innovation in the current negotiations.