The WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement needs to be complemented by an international support program for sustainable investment facilitation. Key elements are outlined and approaches suggested.

Over the last forty years, China's economic growth and rates of FDI have vastly outstripped India's. As India seeks to boost foreign investment with its "Make in India" campaign, this Perspective considers the possible lessons from China's experience and recommends matching regulatory reform...

In international investment law, foreign investors can claim that host countries have acted against investors' legitimate expectations. Especially in light of recent investment treaties recognizing sustainable development goals and the importance of responsible business conduct, this Perspective...

Self-judging "essential security interest" clauses permit a state to act as "it considers necessary" for the protection of such interests. This Perspective examines trends in their diffusion and scope, and outlines suggestions for treaty drafters to consider when balancing the desire for...

Under China's leadership, the G20 adopted "Guiding Principles for Global Investment Policymaking," put investment facilitation on the international agenda and institutionalized an additional platform for investment discussions. The challenge is now to build on these accomplishments.

While virtually all countries have policies in place to attract FDI, the picture is very different for outward investment. Most developed countries have policies in place, but most emerging markets do not. This Perspective argues that, to remain competitive, governments of emerging markets must...

Complex contracts between governments and foreign investors, covering large-scale projects, define the long-term relationship between the parties. Negotiating such contracts is difficult under any circumstances, yet emerging markets negotiating with foreign investors often face an asymmetry of...

FDI statistics have a number of serious shortcomings that limit their accuracy, and therefore also their usefulness for analysis. This Perspective identifies five shortcomings whose correction should be prioritized and provides advice on how to do so.

Based on an examination of 150 instruments (ranging from international investment agreements to MNE codes) that deal with the interaction between host countries and MNEs, this Perspective identifies common FDI sustainability characteristics and suggests ways in which stakeholders can utilize and...

The WTO's discussions on investment facilitation for development, going forward, should reflect on five key issues to achieve a broadly acceptable outcome: the scope of a framework; the development dimension; the balance of a framework; ground-level practical input; and capacity building.