International Investment Agreements (IIAs)

International Investment Agreements are treaties between countries — typically Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) or treaties with investment provisions (TIPs) in Free Trade Agreements — designed to protect, promote, and liberalize foreign direct investment.

They establish legally binding standards for how host states treat foreign investors and provide mechanisms for dispute resolution.

UNCTAD is the global focal point for all matters related to International Investment Agreements and their development implications.

This work includes analysing latest trends and key emerging issues in IIAs, building the capacity of developing countries to negotiate and implement investment treaties that can foster sustainable investment, and providing a platform for universal, inclusive and transparent stakeholder engagement on these issues.

UNCTAD has also been at the forefront of efforts to reform the international investment regime and has provided valuable backstopping to this process.

UNCTAD's work in this area builds on the Investment Policy Framework for Sustainable Development (2015).

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