The report finds that most investment measures taken in the review period pointed toward greater openness and transparency or toward a mix of restrictiveness and relaxation. In the area of investment policies related to national security, three G20 members extended the list of industries or activities subject to security-related review mechanisms.
The joint reports are issued periodically by UNCTAD, the OECD and the WTO.
During the reporting period, running from November 2013 to May 2014, the following measures were adopted:
Six G20 members - Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, and the Republic of Korea - amended their investment-specific policies during the reporting period.
Three G20 members - France, Italy, and the Russian Federation - amended their investment policies related to national security.
Nine G20 members - Australia, Canada, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Turkey, and the United States - concluded five bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and five other international investment agreements ("other IIAs").
The inclusion of any measure in these Reports implies no judgement by the WTO, OECD or UNCTAD Secretariats on whether or not such measure, or its intent, is protectionist in nature. Moreover, nothing in the Reports implies any judgement, either direct or indirect, as to the consistency of any measure referred to in the Reports with the provisions of any WTO, OECD, or UNCTAD agreements.
