Investment and Enterprise

The Division is recognized as a global centre of excellence on issues related to investment and enterprise for sustainable development.

Built on several decades of successful experience, its staff provide international expertise in research and policy analysis, inter-governmental consensus-building, and technical assistance to over 150 countries.

Its flagship product is the annual World Investment Report and its main global stakeholder event is the biennial World Investment Forum.

The Division maintains an interactive World Investment Network of over 9,000 members to disseminate and promote its work on investment and enterprise.

News

25 November 2012Latest UNCTAD Investment Policy Monitor released

A significant dichotomy in national investment policymaking was observed during the review period (June-October 2012). With regard to international investment policies, the trend towards more regional international investment agreements (IIAs) continued.

25 November 2012Secretary-General briefs Investment Commission on recent developments

UNCTAD Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpakdi says that foreign investment flows are less robust than hoped, but that there is an encouraging shift towards investment that can support sustainable economic growth.

21 November 2012MCX Stock Exchange commits to promoting sustainability

The CEO of MCX Stock Exchange answers UNCTAD Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpakdi’s call to action and signs the Sustainable Stock Exchanges voluntary commitment to promoting sustainable investment.

12 November 2012G20 fosters synergies between trade and investment promotion

In the current uncertain economic climate, the first G20 Trade and Investment Promotion Summit has sought to tackle uncertainty head-on by enhancing trade and investment promotion strategies and policy advocacy in order to benefit from global value chains, while ensuring sustainable and inclusive development.

12 November 2012Putting the Rio corporate social responsibility agenda into action: Inter-agency Roundtable on CSR

On 6 November 2012, UNCTAD, the International Labour Organization and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development hosted the second annual Inter-agency Roundtable on CSR. This annual event brings together corporate social responsibility (CSR) specialists from international organizations and national governments, along with select civil society representatives, to discuss current trends in CSR.

30 October 20128th UNCTAD-OECD Report on G20 Investment Measures Released

While G20 members continued to honour their pledge not to introduce new restrictive investment measures, a closer look at current developments reveals a more nuanced picture.

14 October 2012Assisting States in drafting better investment agreements

A new UNCTAD publication, the sequel to the 1999 Pink Series paper on expropriation, analyses expropriation provisions in international investment agreements (IIAs) and their interpretation by arbitral tribunals. Moving beyond a merely descriptive role, the paper offers policy options to assist States in drafting IIA clauses that help to promote sustainable development.

11 October 2012UNCTAD outlines policy options for boosting enterprise and stimulating competitiveness in OIC member States

The Director of UNCTAD’s Division on Investment and Enterprise, Mr. James Zhan, has been in Istanbul this week to present the Division's recent Entrepreneurship Policy Framework (EPF) to a ministerial session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Mr. Zhan was invited to speak about small and medium-sized enterprise development and policy options to increase the competitiveness of SMEs, particularly in OIC member States.

08 October 2012eRegulations programme to help Benin and Burkina Faso prepare for upcoming WTO agreement

UNCTAD's Business Facilitation Programme (via its eRegulations project) and its Trade Facilitation Unit are to join forces to provide technical assistance to two Governments in Africa. The objective is to promote clear, transparent and fair rules to ease trade across borders.