D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation - UNCTAD Guiding Principles for Investment

in partnership with D-8
Event
Session Type
Conference
Session Themes
International Investment Agreements
Room number
Hall 3 Room 8-B
Contact Email
Hamed.Elkady@un.org
Punjul.Nugraha@developing8.org
16 October 2023
13:30 - 15:00 Abu Dhabi
Asia/Dubai

The current times of mounting economic, social and environmental challenges highlight the critical need for investment as a driver of equitable and inclusive growth. The development objectives that the D-8 countries aim to attain call for policies that effectively attract investment and help harness it for sustainable development. In addition, D-8 policy reform efforts need to reflect sustainable development-oriented reforms that are now the mainstream of investment policymaking worldwide. Building consensus and political momentum for the reform of international investment agreements (IIAs) remains one of the key challenges for investment policymakers.

UNCTAD and the D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation, building on their long-standing cooperation, have developed a set of Guiding Principles for Member States of the D-8 Organization. The Principles align with UNCTAD's core investment policy packages and IIA reform tools for sustainable development. They aim to foster agreement within and between Members of the D-8 Organization on investment reform at all levels, highlighting the need, among others, for coherence, dynamic policymaking and international cooperation.

This event will gather policymakers from D-8 Members to discuss the current state of IIA reform in their region. It will highlight how the set of Guiding Principles can help promote best practices and innovative approaches that spur investment for sustainable development.

Session themes:

  • What is the current state of IIA reform in D-8 Members?
  • How can Members strengthen regional dialogue and coordination on comprehensive IIA reform?
  • How can soft policy tools, in particular Guiding Principles, help build regional consensus for IIA reform, and what lessons can be learned for other regions?

Speaker(s)

Secretary-General, D-8 Organization of Economic Cooperation
Senior Coordinator, International Investment Agreements Section, UNCTAD
Under Secretary of State, Head of International Relations Department Promotion Sector, General Authority for Investment and Free Zones (GAFI), Arab Republic of Egypt
Assistant Deputy for Maritime Security and Resilience, The Office of the Deputy for Maritime Sovereignty and Energy Affairs, The Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Investment, Republic of Indonesia
Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance and President, Organization for Investment, Economic and Technical Assistance of Iran (OIETAI)
Director, Legal Services, Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC)
Additional Secretary and Executive Director General, Board of Investment of Pakistan
Head of International Relations Department, Ministry of Industry and Technology, Republic of Türkiye

Moderator(s)

Director II, Economy, Implementation and External Relations, D-8 Organization of Economic Cooperation