More than 70 delegates and civil society representatives attended the presentation of UNCTAD's new Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development (IPFSD) at the UN headquarters in New York.
Organized by the UNCTAD Liaison Office and the United Nations Headquarters in New York and the Vale Columbia Center on Sustainable International Investment, the event offered an opportunity for New York-based stakeholders in international investment agreements (IIAs) to familiarize themselves with the IPFSD and to bring their various perspectives to bear on the debate about shaping a new generation of investment policies.
Elisabeth Tuerk, Officer in Charge of UNCTAD's International Investment Agreements (IIA) Section, gave an introduction of the IPFSD. She reviewed recent trends in investment policymaking and highlighted "the imperative for mainstreaming sustainable development into the investment policy core".
Lise Johnson, Lead Investment Law and Policy Researcher of the Vale Columbia Center on Sustainable International Investment, discussed the opportunities and challenges involved in implementation of the IPFSD.
UNCTAD launched the IPFSD together with the World Investment Report 2021, subtitled "Towards a New Generation of Investment Policies", in July 2012.
The IPFSD is designed to assist government officials in making policies that effectively mobilize investment and ensure its positive contribution to sustainable development. The framework is meant to be a "living document", available on an online platform, where investment stakeholders can comment on the various areas covered, share experiences, raise questions, and make suggestions.
